PUBLIC MONEY STOLEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25300, 6 September 1945, Page 6

PUBLIC MONEY STOLEN

DEPARTMENTAL OFFICERS ONE CASE INVOLVING £1245 (S.R.) WELLINGTON. Wednesday Six cases of misappropriation of public moneys by departmental officers involving the sum of £1532 are reported in the annual report of the Controller and Auditor-General for the year ended March 31 last, which was tabled in the House of Representatives today. The report states that five of the misappropriations were committed by accounting officers, and forgery and falsification of entries was resorted to in four of the cases. The fifth case, the largest misappropriation reported, involving the sum of £1245, occurred in the Post and Telegraph Department in Auckland. Restitution of £1092 had been made. The department's system of recording and accounting for revenue derived from this source was re-examined and further safeguards instituted with a view to preventing further loss. The ordinary safeguards provided by internal checks were applied wherever possible to prevent irregularities and Audit Office in the course of its duties examined the accounting systems in operation and suggested improvements where necessary. The instances reported, apart from the Post Office loss, did not point to remediable weaknesses in the accounting procedure in the departments concerned. WAGES OF WEAVERS SUPREME COURT ORDER (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday tTT A declaration that the Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Company is and since October 28, 1944, has been' entitled to withhold 15 per cent from the piece-work rate of two-loom weavers in terms of Clause 7 (K) of the present award made on June 18. 1945, by the Court of Arbitration, was made by Mr Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court. The declaration was in terms of a memorandum of settlement arrived at between the plaintiff company and the Mills,_ Knitting JMills and Hosiery Knitting Employees' Union and Hilda Dixon. The declaration stated also that the consent of the defendant union was without prejudice to its right to applv in due course for a new award witli clause i (K) deleted. No order was made as to costs, Mr J. O'Shea, of Wellington appeared for the company, and Mr M. J. Gresson for the union. His Honor said that having regard to the circumstances and the fact that the settlement brought to an end an industrial conflict which was prejudicial to both parties and to the community, the Court was justified in "exercising its discretion and issuing a declaratory order. MANUAL TRAINING The need for manual and technical instruction of pupils in country schools was emphasised by Mr G. H. Smith at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board yesterday. The farmer of the future, he said, required the widest possible education, including woodwork i and mechanical training. It was decided to ask the supervisor of the manual training branch to report to the board on the subject with a view to making representations to the Education Department that manual training be introduced in country schools.