MASTERTON A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4447, 17 June 1893, Page 3

MASTERTON A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

Adjourned Annual General Meeting, Tho adjourned annual general i meeting of the above Association was ■ held to-day at the Club hotel, Mr A, W. Cave, (President) in the ohair. Committee's ReportThe report of the Committee appointed to investigate the accounts ■ and balance sheob was read as foli lowa: ■ Report. ! 11 We have carefully examined the i books and vouchers placed at our ' disposal, and find that the Bystom ) adopted does not conduce to strictly ac- ' curate bookkeeping. Sufficient attenI tion lias not been paid totbeissueofrei ceipis for monies received, DOrcould we find vouchers tor all the disbursements, ) The cash book does not show n correct ) daily record of the transactions, nor [ from it in any way could we check 1 tho bank deposits. Therefore we i cannot but endorse those parts • of the auditors memorandum i referring to the difficulty of audit. > Some of the items of the expendi- ; turn seem to us large, and do not apr pear to have been authorised by any . resolution to be found in the minute i book of the Association. The account sn connection with the certificates iupplied in our opinion requires some , explanation. It appears that only 500 • wero supplied, but receipts show a - sum of £i 15s as having been paid ' for 600, and at a subsequent date a a further sum of £7los for another 600. The items of expenditureof the two 1 pounds to Mr Sellar and £8 3s to Mr - A. J. Boddington for clerical assiste :mce, have not been authorised and are . against nil precedent. We find that e a cheque for £1 14s lid was drawn e in favour of tho Wairarapa Farmers' 3 Co-operative Association, and accords iug to the bank pass book was paid d on December 20th 1892, and on e Saturday last the same account was e again authorised to be paid. Accorde ing to tbe balance sheet and ledger, y there is charged a total sum of £24 9s y 4d as legal costs, allowed for the purd chaseof tbe new show ground, whereas I tbelegalcostsactuallyamounted to£l6 ]' 18s 4d, the balance £7l6s representif ing the law costs in connection with i, the Incorporation of the Society. We iO think the balance-sheet should have e shown a separate account for all the II transactions appertaining to the new !- show ground, and would recommend e that a separate accouut be opened in y tho ledger lor that purpose. We find that a Committee was appointed to govern tlieexpenditure of the Secretary is and that officer informo us that he has :e invariably referred all matters of ex1, penditure, other than petty cash, tc d that Committee, or to the President, i- We have heard the Secretary's exie planation of some of the matters com lo plained of, and are unanimously ol i opinion that though irregularities anc io defect s are apparent in the book-keepin{ io and unauthorised expenditureappeati in to have been made, there is noth m ing to show any wilful error al nor that the total amounts of the re it ceipts and expenditure on the balanci e, sheet are not strictly correct, a ( Jas. Svuckey ie Sigued -j Wm. Perry i- { Fred O. Lewjß ,11 Mr Lowes concurred butwas absent id apd had not signed the report. s - Mr Gayfer exp!ained ; to the meeting 10 that only 500 certificates had beet 'g ordered, and they had been parchle ment. , Mr R, E. Hornblow said it wai perhaps necessary to explain that ht 10 had not been paid for two lots ol m certificates, He had understood thai h a printed certificate was required, bu<

when theyjwere done afterwards it wbb found tiey would not do, and jt was decidedjto have parchment certificates, whiiheoss more money. He hud then saij that tho account £4 10s due to him for the first work might stand over 'and be paid when the the parchmeit certificates were paid for. ' | ; Mr Stuekey said they had to make a report'of the acsounts as they found them, iliora wits no doubt the W.F.0.a1 had cashed tho cheque given in September; all the othe accounts were explained except the two or three guineas for clerical assistance,' and the question was whether the Associatiou or Secretary should payithese amounts. Mr Gayler explaiued the item of assistance at the late Show, Mr Hessey asked bow many clerks had been employed. Mr Stuekey said that was not tho question. What ho understood was that the Secretary paid for any clerical assistants he required, and not the Association.! Mr Gayfer said Messrs Sellar and Walker had told him it had alwaytl been paid by the tjooiety, Mr Lewis said there was no minute of a Committee authorising clerical assistance. ' Mr Wm, Perry said aB far as he recollected the matter came up at a meeting, but was thrown out as being an unusual proceeding. Mr Gayler 6aid tho account for olerical assistance had been included in the motion that all labor and judging ascounts be passed for payment. In explanation of tho Wuirarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association's account, Mr Ghyfer said he now discovered that the amount had been) paid, but he hud not got the receipt. The Secretary of the W.F.C.A. had told him that the account had been rendered after payment by an error.' Mr E. E. Chamberlain moved that the cost of extra clerical work on the Show day be borne by the Society. Mr Lewis said t'nathad already been paid, they could not go beyond the resolution passing the accounts. Mr Meredith asked if there. was any resolution authorising the Secretary to get extra clerical labour. Mr Hessey seconded the motion pro forma and asked the Secretary if he had the athority of the President to get this assistance. The Secretary eaid he had the Pre. sident's authority. Mr Gray: " (ktainly not. The Secretary had asked for Mr Sellar to assist in getting out the catalogue." Mr Guild suggested that the meeting thought the Secretary was sufficiently paid, they should should let him pay for other clerical assistance. If, on the other hand, tliey thought he was not sufficiently paid they should not object to the items in question.' Mr Guild said lie would like the Secretary to understand that any aocount authorised by the Secretary and not shown in the balance sheet should ( be borne by himself. Mr Stuekey thought this opened a very broad precedent. If the Seore--1 tary was allowed these items, they would in the future be liable for any number of accounts for labour or assistance of this kind. He would ask members to consider this, before passing the resolution. Mr E. E. Chamberlain said be did not intend to make a precedent. The Secretary would only beallowed what was authorised. Mr Meredith asked that the resolution be amended that the payment be no precedent for the future. He thought that the discussion would do good, and that io future the Secretary would lake care to have particular authority for any clerical assistance, . The resolution was amended and on being put to the meeting it was declared lost. • Tbe Secretary said it was a matter of very great unfairness to ask him to bear the cost of extra clerical assistance. He was sure no other, Sooiety would expect it. The work on Show day itself was more than any one mun could perform. ' Mr T, E, Chamberlain proposed ■ that the Association vote a bonusof£s • 3s to tho Secretary, Seconded by Mr • I)agg, senr., and carried, 1 [Left Sitting.]