B.—l [Pt. lIJ.

Staff. I desire to record the loyalty and assistance rendered during the year by the Audit Office staff. J The work and responsibility devolving upon the staff increase progressively with the creation of new departmental activities and the ever-widening scope of legislative enactments, and during the year the officers discharged their onerous duties to my entire satisfaction. A word of commendation is due to those members of the staff who have devoted much of their leisure-time to acquiring the special accounting knowledge essential to the efficient carrying-out of their duties. More than one-third of the omcers of the Department have now passed their final Accountants' Professional Examination. I wish to thank the Crown Law Office which gave me very valuable aid during the year as it was frequently called upon for legal advice, which was at all times treeiy and readily given. . Government Departments and local bodies are required by statute to give all information and explanations which the Audit Office may at any time require, and a a r\, P be in a position to say that they have given every assistance to Audit Inspectors and Examiners. The Late Controller and Auditor-General. I desire to take this opportunity of placing on record the loss which the Dominion has sustained as a result of the death, on 3rd March, 1937 of my predecessor, Colonel G. F. C. Campbell. Colonel Campbell, who was in office during almost the whole of the period to which this report relates, had a distinguished career m the Public Service of this Dominion extending over a period of nearly sixty-three years during which time he filled many responsible positions with credit, including that of Controller and Auditor-General for over fifteen years. J. H. Fowler, Controller and Auditor-General. Audit Office, Wellington, 12th October, 1937.

XXlll