TOWN CLERK’S SUICIDE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 December 1921, Page 7

TOWN CLERK’S SUICIDE.

±E KUITI DEFALCATIONS. REPORT BY AUDITORS. Three months ago the late Town Clerk of Te Kuiti (Mr. F. E. Lamb), committed suicide in his office and a sequel has now been unfolded in the report of the Government auditor (Mr. H. Wylie), who has recently completed his annual audit of the borough books. The report, as under, was presented to the council at a meeting last week:

“I have carried out the examination of the accounts up to October 31, and regret to say that serious irregularities have been discovered. Since October of last year I have come across ten instances in which the late town clerk received cheques, totalling £466 18s 7d, and failed to account for them. The cash book, when written up to date, showed an apparent surplus of cash after allowing for vouchers paid as per list of £54 9s 4d, making a net deficiency of £4l’2 9s 3d. There are numerous instances of other irregularities which had been rectified before my examination. As you are aware, no claims have been made for subsidy on rates for five years, nor for the subsidies which might have been obtained on the expenditure incurred during the celebrations of peace and the visit of the Prince of Wales. The position as between the council and the estate of the late treasurer as far as can be ascertained at present is:— Following on the report the Mayor (Mr. Hine) made the following state-

“Mr. Wylie has intimated to me that he has finished the auditing of the borough books. As he does not propose to give any other written report I desire to state that other shortages amounting to £5O have been discovered since, making the total defalcations up to the present about £584 7s 3d. 1 am not by any means prepared to say that these are the complete total of the deefalcations, nor that the shortage is confined to the last twelve months or

The next announcement was a letter read from the Prime Minister intimating that he was not prepared to pay tfie accrued subsidies as it would establish a precedent embarrassing to Dominion finance. The matter was referred to the finance committee to consider what action was most prudent. A long discussion then ensued on the methods of the Audit Department in not having discovered these discrepancies previously. The Mayor observed that the total losses in uncollected subsidies and rates and defalcations and neglect would amount to nearly £5,000.

Or. Morton considered the Audit Department had Ibt them down badly. It was an extraordinary thing that they had to wait until the clerk was dead to find out these things. Other councillors spoke in similar strain, and the matter was allowed to drop when the Mayor stated that he would have further’ information at the next meeting.

ment:— £ s. d. Cheques not accounted for 466 18 7 Amount due for installations 38 0 0 Amount due for rates .... 73 14 6 Amount due for penalty ... 6 3 6 - Total 584 16 7 surplus of cash as stated Net amount due 54 9 4 530 7 3