The half-yearly meetings of tho Bank of New Zealand are achieving such a repu tation that they will gradually come to be looked forward to as the moet sensa tional events of the year. On. the present occasionMr.G. Buckley, thelate President of the Board of Directors, and Chairman of the Investigation Committee appointed to enquire into the affairs of the Bank, has Btartled the public and the share holders by bringing the gravest con ceivable charges against all connected with the management of the Bank. They are to the following effect: —That the real state of affairs was not fully disclosed to the Shareholders' Committee, and that if it had been the Bank would have had to be wound up, in consequence of half its capital being lost. And then comes the most serious of the accusations so boldly made : —That "in anticipation of the appointment of a Committee, the managers of the yai'ious branches and agencies were specially instructed to pre pare certain accounts of the Bank's assets as on the 31st March, and these accounts had in each case been certified tr by the manager and other officers. These certificates were cjuite worthless." Now here we have a distinct charge of wilful fraud and misrepresentation, not only by the authorities at head quarters, but by every manager of the Bank in the colony. Is it possible to believe that such a gross system of cooking accounts has been carried on throughout New Zea land by men in responsible positions and generally held in repute? The very gravity and extent of thecharge are suffi cient to refute it. It is difficult to believe that he who has brought it was the President of the .who at the last half-yearly meeting spoke in the very highest terms of the prospects of the Bank and of the new management, bringing his remarks on the subject to a close by saying: —" Eeviewing these con siderations, you will doubtless agree that I am justified in taking a confident view of the future. 