TELEGRAMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1921, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

rBY TELEGRAPH—PER PRESS ASSOCIATION j BOBLIC SERVICE THEFTS. WELLINGTON, Oct. 1 I Seventeen defalcations by public servants me enumerated hv the Audi-tor-General in Ins report to the House, the r.fl'eiiders having in every instance Lot'll punished by the Courts. r l he Aiiditor-Generial contends that tin' publicity given to tliosi' cases should not create an impression of special iniquity on the part of public servants. The fact is that olfenees of tiiis nature appear always to he more common or more commonly disclosed during periods of financial stress, the reasons for which are not far to seek, hut need not he set forth. "The real cause of the seeminp.lv In rue proportion of Goveriiinein employees involved in these enseij, 1' ’ says, “arises from the simple fact that in everv instance ot such an oflciieo in the service ])roeeedili!ts are instituted in aeeordanee with wluit is ruled to • > ail Audit Office duty, whereas in th ' case nf private or proprietary employees often tip action is taken In ; such misdeeds, either as a el pnlicv or some like equivalent. Even under these conditions prosecutions taken by the Audit Office outside public service, that is with repaid |o local finely officials and the like, hear a. least ail equal proportion to lim e instituted .against. Government servants c.t ii the respective numbers ol each taken into account. alld I trust that hereafter a iustcr view will be cnlerlained of t'ie relialolny and integrity of the vast majority ot the ulliccrs of the public service.

PUBLIC LOSSES. WELLINGTON. Oet. 11. The Audit Office has submitted to Parliament particulars of £20,283, representing the value of deficiencies m c;ish. stores or supply for which Parliament's authority is required to write „jf. The items, with the reason for writiup nil are as follows: Deficiency stores in Chalmers Military Hospital, owinp to intermixture of military and civil equipment, losses by theft mid breakages, £Ol2. Defiieney of equipment stores at Auckland Military llospita.l, to the value of £2322. The Crown Solicitor advised that responsibility could not ho placed on the Auckland Hospital Board alone, and that lopal proceedings hi not he taken against that hoard for recovery of the sum. Neither the Hospital' Board nor the Dofen.o Department appears to have taken any steps to cheek equipment, supplied or taken away from the. hospital. Equipment stolen from Queen Mary’s Hospital, Hninner. The losses occurred through patients taking underc'oth-in-r away and the cheeking system bring faulty. £217. Advices etc., under Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act, debtors deceased, left New Zealand, or nnfinam ini. £lO.513. Charter s.s. Tiitanekai, amount <>ut- ■ landing against Southern lsVs Exploitation Company, gone into liquidation, with no likelihood of unsecured rredttors receiving their money, £ll7-1. Repatriation, balance of loans, clr., outstamliiig irrecoverable the grantees having died or left the country £3875. \'alite of defence stores destroyed, lost. etc.. £4570.