B—l [PT. ll]

(c) STATEMENT OF IRREGULARITIES IN CONNECTION WITH PUBLIC MONEYS AND STORES —continued

(d) SCHEDULE OF SUMS ALLOWED BY THE AUDIT OFFICE AS PAID, UNDER PROVISIONS OF SECTION 73, PUBLIC REVENUES ACT, 1926 Section 73, which requires the Audit Office to disallow any sum as paid where the voucher for the actual receipt or payment has not been produced, empowers the Minister, on satisfactory evidence being produced that the requisite papers have been lost or destroyed or that it is not possible to obtain or replace them, to order that the relative sum be allowed. The powers of the Minister under section 73 have been delegated to the Secretary to the Treasury in terms of section 15 of the Finance Act, 1937, and the following payments have been passed by the Audit Office pursuant to orders made under the delegated powers :

11

File No. Nature of Irregularity. Amount Involved. Action Taken, and Result. CASES OTHER THAN THOSE IN WHICH DEPARTMENTAL OFFICERS WERE INVOLVED —contd. State Forest Service £ s. d. A. 21/87/48 A. 21/87/48 Theft of petrol, fencing-wire, and stores (five instances) Theft of petrol Not stated 0 19 3 * Offender convicted and fined £5. Restitution ordered. State Hydro-eleetric Department A. 21/126/48 A. 31/66/2 Theft of scrap copper Theft of stores (seventeen instances) 34 11 0 240 9 2 Offenders (2) convicted and each sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Reported to police—mostly petty items. Department of Tourist and Health Resorts A. 21/42/48 | Theft of bicycle .. .. | 4 10 0 1 * Transport Department A. 21/105/48 | Theft of motor-tires (ten) .. j 110 11 6 | * Treasury Department (War Assets Realization Board) A. 21/12/48 ( Theft of machinery .. .. | 15 0 Of * Valuation Department A. 21/44/48 A. 21/44/48 Theft of wages, £72 17s. lid., and office cash, £5 Theft of chain tape 77 17 11 Not stated * *

Department and Particulars. Reason. Amount. Total Amount. Agriculture £ s. d. £ s. d. Travelling-expenses Receipts not obtained 20 18 10 Travelling-expenses of officers Receipts not obtained 28 5 4 travelling overseas 49 4 2