THE MORALS OF THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT.

Mataura Ensign, Volume VI, Issue 256, 18 May 1883, Page 2

THE MORALS OF THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT.

, TO THE EDHOB. Sir, — The Government's way of transacting business is sometimes past finding ont. I have just risen from a perusal of a report in a Dunedin paper of the case against Mr Loutli, of Tapanui, and hare been much exeroised by Mr Haggifc's opening case for the Crown. The learned counsel said that the accused admitted to Mr KiDg, the Government auditor, a deficit of £256 7s Id, and said he would endeavour to make up the money but he had not yet done so ! And the remarkable inference is that had he done so no further proceedings would have been taken ; for the defiicifc was diecovered as far back as the I7th April. I have no wish to aggravate by a single word the painful position in which MrLouth finds bim-r. self to-day ; bub I do say irrespective of Governments and persons, that when a deficit occurs, when thera is reasonable cause to suspect that embezzlement has been committed, these opportunities to make things spuare should not be allowed. It seems one of the practices of the Railway Department, however, and says little for the morals of the' Government which tolerates it. It holds out the most direct inducement to crime, I take it there is nothing whatever to prevent a railway official from " appropriating " the fundß of the Department, using them without interest foil a tnbnth or two, and then making: the amount good: I wish I belonged.' \^ih&; Railway Department.— l am, etc., Observer, Tapanui, May 17, 1883, ,