281
B
C
F
G
J
M
3. The Audit of Expenditure.All are members of the Legislative Council, and (1) and (3) also of the Executive.
The duties assigned to them must be very hard, because you require good men for each post. But all are said to be underworked
1) from the amount of work he is charged by the Governor, for which he is directly responsible.
(2) from changes which have been introduced by which the Bank undertakes the custody of the Public Funds (allowing 2 per cent on the current account of the Colony, which is a gain for a while) and payments will henceforth be made by Cheques in lieu of in cash.
(3) from the abolition of the Imperial Audit, which will affect not only this but every other Department of Government.
It is of course desirable not to have 3 highly paid officials doing work for which two would suffice.
But how are these duties to be amalgamated? For Austin proposes to combine (1) and (2). But (2) is really subordinate to (3) and I should think that the duties of (1) and (2) might be too much for one man whilst those of (3) are very light.
The Governor at first said, combine (1) and (3) and abolish (2), transferring the...