6

b.—i tpt. ii

£ .. d. Brought forward ... ... ... ... ... - 2,250 17 1 Land for Settlements. £ ». (I. H, llerstler —Hotel expenses ... ... ... ■■• ••■ 0150 John McCaw—Motor-hire ... ... ... -■• ••• 4 5 0 John McCaw—Travelling-expenses ... ... ■■■ •■• ,4 16 0 G. W. Mace—Hotel expenses. ... ... ... ... 16 0 11 2 0 Mental /fogpitalt Department. John Howie—Motor-hire ... ... ••■ ••• ••• ••■ 0150 Mari/ne Department. J.J. Kinsey—Expenses 'Aurora" relief expedition ... I 4 5 W. Marshall—Travelling-expenses ... ... ... ... 4 7 9 . 5 12 2 Native Department. 'I. M. Lawson —Travelling-expenses ... ... ... ... 2 14 0 Tv Rakuraku —Travelling-expenses ... ... ... ... 8 3 0 _____ 1.0 17 0 Public Health Department. P. A. Wallwark —Hotel expenses (Plumbers Board) ... ... 2 12 6 T. Courtenay—Hotel expenses ... ... ... ... 2 12 6 Dr. C. H. Frost —Examination bacteriological specimens ... 5 7 6 Mis. I<\ McGeorge—Coach-fare ... ... ... ... 3 12 6 Dr. '1. 11. A. Valintine—Travelling-expenses ...' ... ... 1 19 0 J. S. Douglas—Travelling-expenses ... ... ... ... 5 II 6 21 16 6 Public Works Department. A. J, Sutolifie--Transfer expenses ... ... ... ... ... 111 6 Stamp Department. P. C. Corliss —Coach-fares ... ... ... ... ••• 1 12 6 Tourist and Health Resorts Department. S. R. Edwards —Travelling-expenses ... ... ... ... ... 5 18 2 Total ... ... ... ... ... ... t-2,310 0 II In addition to (he above the Audit Office declined to pass certain claims of the Union Steamship Company in connection with the fitting and reconditioning of transports, such claims being unsupported by receipts for wages and other expenditure. The company, however, pointed out that it would be a matter of the utmost difficulty to supply receipts, as the expenditure was included in vouchers covering other classes of expenditure unconnected with the transports. With the approval of the Minister the claims were passed by Audit on the certificate of the manager of the Union Steamship Company as to their correctness, and where receipts could not be supplied a certified copy of each account was attached, the originals of which were available for inspection by the Audit Department at the Head Office. Similar action was taken with the accounts of the New Zealand Shipping and other like companies. Surcharges. There are no unsatisfied surcharges There has been a number of instances in which excess payments or short collections have been made, but as these were subsequently adjusted, or explained it was unnecessary for the Audit Office to take any further action. Several overpayments arising from laxity on the part of certain officers were detected, but no surcharges were issued, as it was found difficult to fix the responsibility on any particular individual. Defaulters. During the past year there were six prosecutions under the Public Revenues Act in connection with defalcations of public moneys, two of which defalcations were accompanied by forgery,