✨ Audit Report Continuation
103
private Agent, whether paid or unpaid. While it is gratifying, therefore, to know that Mr. Wylde has completely cleared himself of any imputation of misconduct in this particular, expressed or implied, I think he has done wisely in declining for the future to draw money from the Treasury for third parties, as intimated to me by letter of 30th ult. There is already a Pay-clerk in the Public Works Department, whose duty it is to pay the different gangs of workmen in the Government employ, so as to save them the expense and inconvenience of coming to town, and there can be little difficulty in arranging that he should also pay such Contractors as may wish to receive their accounts at some place more convenient for them than Christchurch.
With regard to the method of keeping the accounts; they have, since the commencement of the past financial year, been kept by Mr. Wylde, in conformity with suggestions of my own, so that while the cost of any particular work, including the stores expended, can be ascertained at once, by the Engineer personally, without his being entirely dependent on a subordinate Officer, the Auditor has also the means of testing the accuracy of any returns which may be made to him, unless prevented by fraudulent and collusive arrangements between the Head of the department and at least two inferior Officers. Entering on office in the middle of a financial period, with works already in progress under the year’s votes, apparently without a very hearty co-operation on the part of some of his subordinates, and with a vast amount of out-door work, I am not surprised that Mr. Wylde’s account of a former year, though correct as a whole, was inaccurate in a portion of its detail; but I am satisfied of the entire accuracy of the details of his accounts for the period just ended, and also that the system he has adopted will secure correctness for the future.
In conclusion, I may be allowed to suggest, for the consideration of the Council, the question of the expediency of the Government longer keeping stores on hand. In a new country, it is no doubt often necessary for Government to do what, in a more advanced state, would be contrary to sound and established rules of political economy. But it appears to me that we have made sufficient progress to justify the belief that we have now persons in the Province sufficiently enterprising to contract for whatever stores may be wanted for works carried on in any one year by the Public Works Department; and this would be done as economically as where stock was laid in by the Government itself. At all events, opportunities for peculation would be lessened; there would be less waste, accounts would be simplified, and the Provincial Engineer would have more time to devote to the strictly professional duties of his office.
I have the honor to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
WM. THOMSON,
Provincial Auditor.
Next Page →
Canterbury Provincial Gazette 1863, No 12
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
💰
Audit Report for the Province of Canterbury
(continued from previous page)
💰 Finance & Revenue30 July 1863
Audit, Financial Accounts, Provincial Council, Expenditure, Canterbury, Bridge Construction, Breakwater, Waimakariri, North Road
- Wylde (Mr), Provincial Engineer, subject of audit report
- WM. THOMSON, Provincial Auditor