PUBLIC SERVICE THEFTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16513, 25 August 1921, Page 5

PUBLIC SERVICE THEFTS.

SYSTEM OF INQUIRY. [From Our Correspondent.] . WELLINGTON, August 24. It has been suggested editorially in Wellington, as a consequence of a number of defalcations by public servants, that some method akin to a court-martial ought to be provided to ascertain whether superior officers’ laxity does not tend to encourage the evil. The Public Service Commissioner dealt with this point in a. statement to-day. He announced that the As-sistant-Commissioner, Mr P. Verschaffelt, would conduct an inquiry into the whole of the circumstances in the Christchurch State Coal Office. There was ample authority in the Public Service Act and regulations for such inquiries and for punishment of negligence or incompetency by dismissal or reduction of status. Such powers of course were quite apart from the prosecution which followed any reported dinhonesty. The State Mines Department is conducted as a business concern. Its accounts are regularly audited, so that defalcations are bound to be discovered. Every precaution is taken to ensure their early discovery or prevent them wholly. No business methods, It is contended, can guarantee perfect safeguards against dishonesty, but where there is not negligence on the part of someone dishonesty should be revealed early. The Government has now adopted a system of prosecuting in every case of dishonesty, even though there may be a refund of the money misappropriated. This, and the publicity thus given to offences, in iteelf a powerful deterrent of crime, may account for the public belief that there are more defalcations now than formerly. There have also been inquiries conducted by the Public Service Commissioner with o view to discovering weakness in the system or negligdVice on the part of officers.