COAL DEPARTMENT

Otago Witness, Issue 3525, 4 October 1921, Page 22

COAL DEPARTMENT

OFFICERS DISMISSED. WELLINGTON. September 29. Recently a youth named Butler, employed in the State Goal Department at Christchurch, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing sums amounting to over £2OOO, and was sentenced to reformative detention for two years. He obtained the money in small sums by manipulation of the cash register. An inquiry presided over by tho Assistant Public Service Commissioner (Mr Paul Versehaffelt) was made into the system on which business is conducted in the Christchurch office, and the means taken to prevent defalcations. As a result- of this inquiry it: is now stated that the following officers have been dismissed front the public service (I lie manager of the Christchurch State Depot ; the senior clerk. Christchurch Stale Coal Department: ihe auditor who was responsible for the oversight of the accounts in the office; and the accountant of the head branch office (State Coal) of the Mini s Deparl merit. APPEALS CONSIDERED, t II!4! 1 S i (1 i 1 UKCH, September 29. Regarding the State Coal Department’s dismissals. All K. A. Nalder, manager of tile (Ihristchmch olfiee. said; “I am considering' the mailer of an appeal. The punishment could not have been worse if 1 had been implicated. As far as the evidence to which we have access is concerned, there is nothing whatever to prove the slightest, carelessness or negligence, it has to be remembered also that all the money was recover, d. and not a single penny was lost to the Government, and that the defalcations were discovered by officers in the Christchurch office, not by officers of the Audit, Department. It looks t,> me at present, in view of the drastic step taken,

tiiaf rotrencliniont is the order of the day, ar] d that justice is consequently gone by the board.'’ Mr Rich, the chief dork, who was also dismissed, endorsed Mr NaldorVs remarks in regard to tae injustice of the punishment, an d said he certainly would appeal. “I am astounded at the announcement/’ he said. Roth Mr Nalder and Mr Rich have been nearly 15 years in the public service, and in / 1,l! in the State Coal Department. Mr Nalder began in Wanganui, and stayed Inere for 12 years. He lias been in the Christchurch office for three years. Mr Rich began his career in Christchurch, and uas been here all the time.