NATIVE LANDS

Southland Times, Issue 22192, 7 December 1933, Page 8

NATIVE LANDS

KEEPING OF ACCOUNTS GRAVE IRREGULARITIES ALLEGED AUDITOR-GENERAL’S REPORT (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, December 6. Further criticism of the method of keeping the accounts of native land settlement schemes was offered by the Controller and Auditor-General, Mr Campbell, in his annual report which was presented to Parliament to-day. “In my report to Parliament last year,” said Mr Campbell, “I found it necessary to state that the accounts of native land development schemes were in an unsatisfactory condition and that it had not been possible for me to make a complete audit of these accounts. Since then I regret to say there has been no improvement and errors and deficiencies in expenditure in connection with both development schemes and Maori unemployed relief due to the administrative methods adopted, have become more and more apparent the further the inquiries have proceeded. The impossibility of being able to exercise any effective check over the expenditure rendered it necessary for me to advise the Government from time to time of the position and to' state that I could not accept responsibility for the accuracy of the accounts. Certain changes in the administrative staff in Wellington have recently been made with a view of improving matters.” “A local investigation by the audit inspectors of development schemes in the East Coast and Rotorua districts is still proceeding, and although I am unable at this stage to make a full report, the investigation has proceeded sufficiently far to indicate that there have been grave irregularities in the accounts and also in the method of purchasing and disposing of stores, livestock, etc. “The Native Land Act, 1931, section 522, confers unusually wiHe powers on the Native Minister and it is in the exercise of these powers that the ordinary methods of administration which prevail in other Government departments have, to a large extent, been ignored, with the result that departmental control has been weakened, extravagant methods have been adopted and no proper records of many important transactions recorded.”