CIVIL SERVICE DEFALCATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1239, 22 September 1911, Page 4

CIVIL SERVICE DEFALCATIONS.

HOW THET ARE MADE GOOD. Mr. Pearce asked tho Minister for Agriculture, in Parliament yesterday, whether it was correct that a levy of twopence per cent. was. to be deducted this month from the salaries of all Civil Servants to make good the defalcations of an officer ill the Agricultural Department. Tho Hon. T. Mackenzio replied that the hon. gentleman was not perhaps awnro that there was a Euarantee fund among the officers of. the Department. They preferred to pay in this way rathor than take out individual guarantee*. He was not acquainted with tho particulars of tho case mentioned, but "he understood that an officer in Christchtirch had recently been responsible for tome defalcations. Probably this was the case. Tho Prime Minister stated that the Government had no control over these cr<sos. They were governed in this country by an Act, under which members of the Public Servico mado up the total amount of defalcations. If this wero not enforced individual guarantees would havo to be provided at greater cost. Tho present system had been in operation, bo understood, for 35 years. Mr. Pearco remarked that where a guarantee boml was required by a local body, the local body paid for it. Why should the Government act differently? The Prime Minister replied that it was not proposed to change the existing law.