THEFT OF PUBLIC MONEY.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17807, 5 July 1923, Page 8

THEFT OF PUBLIC MONEY.

AUDITOR-GENERAL'S REPORT. (gtSaiS, ?l> "?8B 28988.") WELLINGTON, July 4. That there is a considerable amount of misappropriation of publio moneys by employees in tho Publio Service iss made plain in the annual report of tho Controller and Auditor-General, though in proportion to the large number of; officers authorised to receive and pay public moneys, the number of the erring ones is said to he not really large; indeed, the Controller goes so far an to say that the standard of businesu morality in the Service is not lower than that in outside employment. Ho bases his contention on the fact thai in the Public Service prosecutions ar« mandatory, whereas such is not tho case in private employment. Attention is called to the fact that in <* number at cases of misappropriation, forgery has been resorted to to enable delinquents to possess themselves o:t public funds. ■ . ■ There have been instances of fauuro on the part of responsible officers to seo that proper security against Josi by fire has been provided _ m caseu where State money,, have-.wen-.ad-vanced to soldiers for business or farm purposes. Through this neglect lass baa occurred. . A schedule of losses of or deficiencies in cash, stores, or supplies which cannot be written off until Partomentar? authority has been received include* the following:— *

Ne'.eon District Fruat Packers Ltd. S7i Value of articles in Military Hospitals and depots broken, lost, or deetooycdi •• ."•'•; ' Value of stores and equipment ©I various units found deficient at stocktaking, in respect of Which _ responsibility cannot be fixed .. »,«»* Petrol supplied to N.2. Aoro Transport Co. from Imperial _ Govern- . rrtant, gift stock in consideration of flying operations carried out _ while not in receipt of a aub3idy I,lß* Amounts owing by patients 'treated at Kotorua, Pufcaora, OtaW, Trontham, and Hanmer Hospitals and ' Sanatoria, and at office oi Assistant Director of Medical Supplies, Wellington .. . • • • ; Hj ß3 ' Balance of principal end interest owing by Taranaki Oil Wells, Ltd. \. .. .. •• 1,71* Shortage of firewood stocks'and various articles at Government Firewood Dopot; articles worn out or etolen ..' .- ... ~ •• 8,297 '-kortage in coal stocks at "Wel.ington and Christchurch State Coal clepots, due to losses in handling, evaporation, and storage .. 633