NATIVE LAND FINANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 111, 12 May 1934, Page 12

NATIVE LAND FINANCE

AUDIT INSPECTOR CRITICAL

EVIDENCE BEFORE,kCQjyi-r

MISSION

(By Tclegrap.h—Press;Association.)' ■ ROTORUA, May 11. ; Strong criticism of accountancy methods employed by the Waiaraki District Maori Land Board in administering Native land development schemes in the Eotorua district was expressed by Joseph Austin Petre, audit inspector, before the Native Affairs Commission this afternoon. Witness stated that office copies of stores orders were in a state of chaos, and it was impossible to trace where stores had gone. The postings of orders to the ledgers was very much in arrears, and quite recently books were twelve months behind. It was the custom of the board to buy stores in Eotorua, and this meant buying considerably above contract rates. Witness alleged that frequent discrepancies were shown in tho time sheets and vouchers,, which appeared to have been manipulated in tho office. He did not allege that this had boon done from motives of dishonesty. On the contrary, he did not believe* that the clerks.responsible would misappropriate a penny. Natives had been asked to sign paysheets in blank, and send them in. so that they could bo filled in for any amount. Natives had complained to him that they had not received their, pay. , ■ Investigation showed, that in some cases Natives were receiving unemployment relief when they had substantial farms, while in another case an aged chief was receiving £1 a week as supervisor of one of the schemes, although he was too old to work and drawing a war pension. It was very difficult Jo determine the position with regard to stock, as the whole position was in a hopeless muddle. In one case, a man named Tupara Kingi, at Horohoro, had received an increase of 3s 4d a week in pay in order to compensate, him for entertaining distinguished -visitors to the scheme- This man had also been paid, 525 for entertaining % the Governor-General.:- .. *.;

The general accountancy system in the Botorua office was in a "terrible mess." Ho had brought the position under the notice of the head-account-ant for the Department. Tho registrar of thu board was very secretive; and it was very! difficult to obtain information; from him. "Witness also raised the question of potato crops at : 'Horphoro in. 1932.'- He-had been unabletp obtain anyrecords in regard to these, arid found it. Very difficult to obtaiii any information about them. He ashed the registrar for details, which were- not supplied, although afterwards ho ascertained that these had been in the office all thotimo. Ho estimated that £650 worth of potatoes had not been accounted for: Lavish gifts of potatoes had been made to individual Natives. :

Allowances were paid to officers in the Eotorua district which were not in accord with the- scale set down by the Public Service Commissioner. He had been unablo to determine what these* allowances were for. He had submitted an official audit query to the registrar in July of last year,'but none of the questions had so far been answered.

A number of horse-driven hay presses had been bought at a cost of £54 each, but had been found to be quite useless, and had never been worked. He estimated a dead loss of £380 12s 6d on this account. ■ Investigation showed that, mo tor-vehicles belonging to the board and the Native Department had been extensively used for other than, official purposes. An admission of misuse of a truck had been made by two officers of the board, who had agreed to pay a surcharge on that account.