PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26127, 1 June 1950, Page 2

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

Sir. —Having no newspaper file of six months ago, I regret my inability to quote, but as the non-existent surplus of £14.000,000 in the Budget was “discovered” only by leaders of the National Party, and'the public accounts, as issued by the Treasury were cited in support of that discovery. Treasury officials were constrained to emphasise the correct presentation of these accounts. A change in the method of presenting the public accounts may be due—what is unorthodox to-day may be commonplace to-morrow—but public servants should not be dragged into political controversy, either explicitly or implicitly. As pointed out by “The Press.” Messrs Fraser and Nash were guilty on that count, hut no more so than Mr Holland and his colleagues; and “The Press” overlooked the guilt, of the National Party. Together with doubtful election promises, such tactics may be classed as “good polities.” I cannot agree with that classification. —Yours, etc., D. ROBERTSON. May 30, 1950. I Mr Robertson is relying on his memory; we are relying on written records. When he produces proof of his original statement that public servants were “provoked into vocal defence of their accountancy” we will be happy to print it. He is welcome to search our files to substantiate his statement. —Ed., “The Press.”]