DISHONEST PUBLIC SERVANTS

Southland Times, Issue 17482, 24 July 1915, Page 9

DISHONEST PUBLIC SERVANTS

NECESSITY FOR SUPERVISION. (Special to the Times.) WELLIXGTOX, .Inly 21. Tn referring to the defalcations that came to light in Christchurch in October in connection with the collection of the land revenue, the third report of the Public Service Commissioners, which incidentally refers to those particular defalcations as ‘'the most serious heretofore by any member of tile public service," makes (lie following remarks: "It is necessary to suggest a remedy. It is useless to attempt to patch the present system, which has the inherent defect of entrusting ttie collection of a revenue of tl yUifi.OOO jut annum to local officers without tin- supervision ami j check of tin- head, office. The head office ' control prior to linn*, although some- j what elaborate, was effective, and it is , imperative that a reasonable mod Mica- 1 tion of the system should he resumed, i It is now proposed that the keeping ol ; ledgers should lie resumed in tiie head 1 office. The Commissioners are of opinion that by this course the opportunities for fraud will la"’ reduced to a minimum, while senior officers in the local offices, instead of taking a more or less perfunctory interest in the collection of land revenue, will lie compelled to Keep in closer touch with it than appears to he the case at present. " Prom other cases which have come under notice it is evident that many' officers do not recognise the responsibility attached to the cam of public moneys. The Commissioners have observed an absence of supervision on the pjij't of those* wliost* «I nt y it is to rxcvciso it, and that acuoimts r-ierhs arc allowed both to deal witli cash ami keen the account hook, thus paving the way for peculation and fraud. During the year in one department it was found that some hundreds of pounds worth of negotiable documents had been received in payment for services carried out and no entries had been made in the hooks. Moreover, these documents were not in tiie care of anyone, and no one could guarantee (lint theft hud not resulted. In another case in which trust moneys were involved an officer had carte blanche to issue cheques without any counter-signature. Again, in another department it was found that moneys had been received, and no officer was able to give any satisfactory account of them or of what had become of a portion ol the cash. These are some of the cases that have happened, hut (here are several others, all equally pointing to tiie conclusion Unit the supervising element is weak, and that tiie responsibility on the part of those, whose, duty places them in positions of trust is not properly appreciated. "In this manner it seems to the Commissioners that a great change in methods is required as soon as possible. Complete instructions in pamphlet form, indicating the responsibility of officers handling moneys, should lie issued by tiie Treusury. it Is also considered that surprise audits should In; carried out.