Date:    09/08/2000  4:02 PM

Subject: File No. S7-13-00

Dear SEC Chariman Arthur Levitt
     
I wish to comment on the upcoming public hearing regarding the proposed 
"Auditor Independence" rules.
     
I am, like many others are, an individual investor.  I utilize the 
financial statements submitted to the SEC by companies of interest to 
determine their worthiness of my hard earned dollars.  I pay limited 
attention to financial press-releases and conecentrate on the SEC 
docuements for the main reason that they have been approved/reviewed by an 
independent auditor.  This brings comfort to me when I read those SEC 
documents - they represent a level of trust and competence that I assume is 
present in the numbers.
     
If, even for a moment, I am unsure of the validity and truthfullness of 
those numbers I stop and move on to another company.  I have no need for 
marketing and hype when I'm looking for metrics and honest facts.
     
I support your endeavor of decoupling the Auditing services from the 
Consulting Services of various companies.  The inherent conflict of interest 
present in such a business is plain to see - similar in nature to the 
Selective Disclosure issue debated earlier this summer.  I cannot and will 
not invest in any company whose Auditors have such buisness arrangements, 
yet I am powerless to stop such a practice.  You, Mr. Levitt, are in a 
position to stop such a practice.  I, along with the millions of other 
individual investors, support you.
     
--J. Frechette