B.—l TPt. TT

8

New Zealand. Waterside Workers' Federation, Wellington Branch. At the request of the Commissioner of Police, and with the approval of the Minister of Justice, the Audit Office also made an examination of the books of the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation. The report, which disclosed a total deficiency of £1,035 14s. lOd. up to the 21st July, 1922, was forwarded to the police, following which the secretary was charged with theft of £846 union funds, found guilty, and sentenced to eighteen months' hard labour. Losses and other Irregularities. Repatriation Department. Owing to the failure, to provide insurance on a motor-lorry, for the purchase of which £300 had been Loaned by the Repatriation Board, a loss of £219 9s. 9d. was sustained through the destruction of the lorry by fire. As the, departmental officers concerned in the transaction had left the Department, and the failure to insure in the first instance was due to the omission of an honorary secretary, no recovery could be made. The amount requires to be written off. Prisons Department. A warder of the Terrace Prison, Wellington, was reported by the Prisons Department for alleged attempt, to defraud by supporting a voucher for refund of travelling-expenses with a bogus receipt. The police, on inquiry into the matter, were not, satisfied that there was intent to defraud, and the Solicitor-General agreed with the recommendation that there be no prosecution. The warder was dismissed from the Service. Customs Department. The Comptroller of Customs reported a loss of £100 from the cash-drawer in the office of the Collector of Customs at Auckland. The matter was placed in the hands of the police, but they were unable to account lor the hiss of the money. There was nothing to indicate that the clerk in charge was guilty of anything worse than carelessness, and he was accordingly fined £25. The remaining £75 requires to be appropriated by Parliament. Department of Health. Owing to a (ease of sickness at Tongoio the Medical Officer of Health, Napier, obtained the assistance of the Health Inspector to drive him there on Sunday, 31st December. After dealing with the case they returned, and the next day the Inspector missed £10, which is supposed to have dropped from his coat-pocket. Five pounds of this amount represented Government, imprest moneys which he was required to make good to the Treasury. He, could not be absolved from a certain amount of carelessness, but the Department, after taking all the facts into consideration, is providing an item on the estimates I'm- refund of this amount to him. Native Trust, Office. The Native Trustee, on the 20th April, 1923, reported that the sum of £10 6s. 2d. had been stolen from the cashier's cash-box. The matter was reported to the police, who made exhaustive inquiries without arriving at a conclusion as to the culprit. The Cashier has been called upon to pay 25 per cent, of the amount into the Native Trust Account, as the loss is held to be due to failure on his part to place the keys in security. The remainder will be written off. Public Works Department. A loss of cash when paying workmen from Wairoa sub-office, amounting to £40, was reported by the District Engineer, Gisborne. The pay cheque, of some £1,000, had been duly cashed, and the money parcelled by three officers in envelopes for the respective workmen ; one of these envelopes when opened, after having passed through several hands, contained £19 os. 9d. instead of £59 os. 9d. The police were unable to ascertain the culprit, but the matter was settled by the staff subscribing £40 to cover the loss. State Fire Insurance Department. An officer of the State Fire Insurance Department, New Plymouth, was discovered, when the Head Office Accountant was auditing the New Plymouth Branch, to be £2 ss. short in his cash. He was suspended, but, as there was no evidence of criminal intent, and as the Solicitor-General considered the case was not one for prosecution under section 65 (3) of the Public Revenues Act, no further action was taken. F. A. F. Bone, State Fire Insurance agent at Kawakawa, was reported by the General Manager to have disappeared, leaving a shortage of £13 or £14. He is stated to owe large sums to various creditors, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.