MAKING GOOD THE LOSS.

Dominion, 24 February 1913, Page 4

MAKING GOOD THE LOSS.

MISUSE OF PUBLIC MONEY. ■ (By Telrjrraph.-BpecUH Oorr«4poB««aH iv, /r Auckland, February 23, When an officer In the Publio Sonic* 0! New Zealand abuses his trust by misappropriating funds', tho public revenuo does not lose Iho money, tot tho loss is made up by contributions from tho pockets of brother civil eervonls throughout the Dominion. Such a call will bo inado on the pockets of civil servants' next, week, or rather tho restitution money will be deducted from tho salaries of officers before these salaries get an opportumty of reaching their predefined pockets. ■ . Jnst recently (soys tho "Star") two large defalcations by officers in tho Public Sorvico (not in Auckland) wero discovered. Tho total: deficit being about .tUOOO, this'' amount has by tho operation of the Civil Service Officers' Guarantoa Act to l)o refunded by, a pro rata call on tfio salaries of oil ■ civil servants in re« ■teipt of more than .£IOO a year, except thoso employed in tho State Insurance Office and tho Department of the Offldlal Assignee, to tho extent of about One-fortieth being given by d call of that amount on tho Consolidated' Fund. This latter amount represents really what) Sporting peoplo ucqubinted with tho inner working of tho lotalisatoi'• designate ''the, fractions,", being more a matter of limoothing tho mathematical difficulties, of the allocation than,by giving monetary ' assistance to the, honest servants - who ' iliave to make reparation for the faults of 'their weaker, brethren., - v• •, 1 .. jlt was intimated, some timo uaoK through the press that the call in, tho present instance would-amount to on© per. cent, of. salaries, but it. has been ' found to work out at much less than that, toing oho-flfth per cent,' Thusy tho public servant who gets £M a year will' nest Friday have to, devoto Bs. ; to the ~ cause of honesty while others will alax bontribut* according to theiif means.. Some of them will, of course, grumble oti' 1 thus having to partly pay for. the sins I '-' brothers, whilo souio having a inntho. .-■■ matical mind and ft sense of humour, may complain because their salaries do nob require them" to make a still larger restitution. Generally speaking, however, tho call .is taken philosophically as part of the gamrt., "You see/ explained a member bf the Service to a. ''Star" reporter, "if wo didn't havothe Guarantee Act, wo•Mtild probably have tbpay 10s. or IBs; a year for a .'idelitv bond or a guarantee , fund. As it is, I liavo Ifron in tho Servjoo ■Sixteen, years.'and I don't-think I havo .been called on- to pnyi more' than 10s.'' altogether.': The last occasion tin'which.' ;A call was made, he'explained, Was about : ; thres years ago, when there was a big misappropriation' in tho,' Publib. Trust Department. Members in receipt-, bf a year and less take, out fidelity, bonds, and tho others come under the Guarantee; Act.