The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1,19125. A BEMARKABLE POSITION.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 October 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1,19125. A BEMARKABLE POSITION.

Tin-: report of tin.* Controller alid Auditor-General to Parliament lists tills vein’ been responsible for creating ;i remarkable posit ion. Ilit.ierto the Auiliior-Cenenil Inis Ik*i■ 11 a | er.-,0-t ahme reprosieli or reproof, ami his lieturn has held stray. A finding hv tiie Auditor-General against any mere n an or unfortunate local hotly is held tf have till the forte and elfeet of a judgluont hr the highest eonrt. tttth no right of apjeal. Ihe dieinin ot the A mlitiir-Getieral always •‘went." and if was fruitless to gain-say it. The devoir; incut in Parliament this session suggests that the inana of the Audi-tor-General is passion. The Government felt it was being unduly criticised in the annual report, and being all por.erful. set up a eointnittee with it? in'll parly predominating to virtually try the Auditor-General. The Government has 1.-ocn rinilieated hy the report rf it- Committr-e. Ti reach that conclusion the Co nun ittoo had the Au-ditor-General before it. and as Air Veitch has -aid: “The Anditoi -General had Keen “lirmr-beaten’' into making statements to the emit in it tee that he would not otherwise have made, because the fa t was that he had been before the committee to defend his jolt and nof his report.’' This is not a pleasant picture and it create? an atmosphere which is far from satisfactory. Holding the power and authority he does, the Auditor-General should he above suspicion, and nothing should he in his report which is not possible of the closest scrutiny. A position such as has arisen row destroys cm fiden r. and reduces a highly placed "Department in the general estimation very materially. The precedent adopted by the Government certainly prejudices the work of the Auditor-General in the future. If it is to he reviewed in this manner hv the Government, then surelv lesser lights such as local bodies should have the power to call for investigation and further publicity when the members consider they are wrongfully or unfairlv treated by the Audifollowing flu* precedent

now set up. it' scorns competent for 1.01,1 bodies with ii grievance to sot lip an independent tribunal to examine points raised, ami make the facts known publicly. Many local bodies, acting in {rued faith and on local advice. or following precedents of lone years, have been checked hv the An-ditnr-f boicral of late. W hat has I een done in some instances has been unfair to tho c eeiieerned. who 'nave acted lona fide and according to precedent or advice. Xow that the Governnient has sought redress and whitewashing. it is reasonahle to expect that local bodies should have the means ol reaching a like -a net nary. This is more so the case, too. from the tenor of the report. A i one stage, it says: “It is hut fair to tin- A lid itor-General that at tlm inquiry i■• ■ts were brought -nit of which he ua- not aware when he wrote his re; old.” This indicates that in point of fact the Auditor-Gen-eral is not infallible, and as a consequence. after the revelations and ad missions, the question arises how far the charge of the Auditor-General should stand, without facilities being provided to review the exceptions where those affected honestly believe they are not being fairly and equitably treated in the light of all the circumstances. One ol tin- Ministers of the Grown took up the view of th< position herein indicated hut instead of applying it to local bodies, applied it to heads of Government Departments. On the principle of "hat is sauee for ihe goose is sauee lor the gander, the fairness of tie- eritiei-ni by Sir -lames Parr, the Minister in question, is applicable lo the ease of members of local bodies. •‘Personally, said Sir dallies. ”i consider tin- report to lie a very serious prouoiinreiiieni in regard to the Auditor-General's ailin'. | believe that he is the last man who would wilfully do harm to any ollieer of State, hut I Ixdieve the fault and there is a I'aiill is ibis, lliai he lias trusting "it!, legard >o reports furnished him by his officers, lie has accepted the report in too man-- cases of junior and it,< xperieuee,l ollhei-s without -uHirirnt m rutiny. There is an obvious lc-son that while the Auditor-General's report is en-

tioiis and .statements in that ri’port should only be certified to by the Au-ditor-General alter that ollieer has s rut mised with the greatest care and thoroiigl reports placed before him by siihordinate efiicers. Ii is to-, -eri.-u - a malter than tie- honour and personal honesty, integrity and reputation of permanent heads throughout the country should be threatened unless lie Aml it nr-( b-hcral has in from of him c-m hieing evidence that ,tacts on which lie relies are incoti-

I I .yet 111,-re it is quit, - b ar. : n thi-. report, on the , areful invesiigaI tot, made by the committee, that the Auditor-General was rati ’f gravely at la,lit." This sweeping statement from

so iiillueni ial a quarter cuts very lecpL lot-, the prestige of the audit oflu-e. and if the Minister's conclusions are ,n keeping with what was revet,led at the enquiry of the ('onuilit tee. then then is a very good ciw- for every ex-eption

laken !,v the Aml it or-Gcm-ral to public or local bedv expenditure 1-1 he carefully investigated by those concerned before publicity is given to any such (•Xrepi ions.