H.-14

71

does not effect the purpose for which it was instituted, for there is no check by the Audit Office to see that the paid vouchers so scheduled represent the vouchers actually- included in requisition and charged to votes. The abolition of the schedule is recommended, and the paid vouchers forwarded for post-audit should be accompanied by their respective requisitions against which they can then be checked. This would give a simple self-balancing system and save a large amount of work. 8.-l. —Public Accounts. In 8.-l a lengthy return is published showing the receipts under section 76 of the Local Bodies' Loan Act, 1908, classified under blocks. This return entails a great amount of clerical work, and does not warrant the trouble expended upon it. The total amount collected would be quite sufficient. Such detail is not required in connection with items of a more important character. The information given more fully in the Tourist Department's annual report is repeated under the heading " Miscellaneous Revenue." One line should amply suffice in the Treasuryreturns, especially as it is found possible to so dispose of the Customs and Post and Telegraph revenue, with which that of the Tourist Department cannot compare either in magnitude or importance. Imperial Pensions. The forms for and methods in connection with this work are largely those prescribed by the Imperial Government. The Personal Ledgers for each pensioner, reservist, or retired pay officer, however, should be replaced by a card Ledger with reduced information, and the index also kept on cards, as the Personal Ledger cards must be kept sorted in districts. Carbon copies of the voluminous correspondence in connection with the Imperial pensions should replace presscopying. Immigrants' Deposits. Immigrants' deposits made with the High Commissioner are now dealt with by a somewhat cumbersome method. The High Commissioner advises the Treasury, which in turn issues imprests to Collectors of Customs. The Collectors pay and render imprest accounts for payments. It would be much simpler, admit of saving in accounting, and probably be more convenient to the immigrants, were the Treasury to arrange payment through the Post Office. Loans. The Loan Ledgers and other books subsidiary thereto should be brought under the control of the Head Ledger-keeper, and the officers form part of his staff. The main record in which the public debt of the Dominion is kept should take the form of a well-bound and securely-locked loose-leaf ledger, instead of a book, which becomes congested, and on account of cross references is apt to prove seriously misleading. Leaves which cease to be of use for current loans, when removed, should be placed in locked covers until there is a sufficient number, and then bound in permanent form, as they will become valuable State records of past transactions. A folio in the Register showing the amount authorized should be opened as soon as an Act for raising a loan is passed, and not, as at present, left until the money is actually raised. All transactions in connection with inscribed stock should be entered in this book immediately on receipt of notification from London, apart from, any record kept elsewhere. At present the transactions are not entered in the Public-debt Register until the end of each year. The books should be kept correctly 7 and up to date, all narrations being numbered and entered in the Public-debt Register immediately the advice of the transaction reaches the Treasury, and before its transmission to the Audit Office. It was noticed that such transactions were not entered until the return of completed debentures by the Auditor-General, thus leaving the record, upon which entire dependence should be placed for information, as to the position of the public debt incomplete and even misleading for periods varying from weeks to months. The present ruling of the book is satisfactory, with one exception. A column should be provided showing the amount of the " unexhausted authority 7 " under each Loan Act. The position is that when a conversion of debentures into stock takes place, although the balance of the authority remains unaltered, the amount of debentures outstanding is reduced, and unless an unexhausted-authority column be kept it might easily be thought that the authority was greater by the amount of the debentures converted. The columns proposed should be carefully kept up to date, particularly in respect of Acts which authorize annual or regularly recurring loans, so that the unexhausted authority for borrowing under any 7 Act may be certainly and promptly ascertained. The " Register of Debentures " should also be kept in a loose-leaf ledger, instead of in the several different and various-sized books at present in use. An Interest Register should be kept on the loose-leaf or card principle, and should indicate not only the amount due and paid, but also the amount of interest due but remaining unpaid at the end of each financial year. The following headings are suggested as a basis for the book or card :—■

Description of Loan.

Date. Principal. [ Date. Amount Amount of „ . Interest due of Interest When paid. Vo » cher Remarks. Interest. I paid. No - „" n ??i d °? r 31st March.