(42)
(48)
698
Q.—Did you make any report of that to Mr. Wodehouse?
A.—No, I thought that Mr. Wodehouse knew about it.
Q.—You made no report to him?
A.—No, not to him. I reported it to Dr. Stewart and Mr. Lister in 1886 or 1887.
Mr. Thurburn.—As a matter of fact for a number of years this book has not been balanced until about two years afterwards?
A.—Always that way, always about two years afterwards. And to prove that, the book of 1890 was only balanced the other day by me. 1892 was also done by me.
Q.—1888 and 1889 were missing. Were they balanced?
A.—I don't think so.
Q.—They were not examined by you?
A.—No.
The Chairman.—Do you know whether they were examined by Mr. Ribeiro?
A.—I don't know. My predecessor was Mr. Ribeiro and after that Mr. Taverner.
Q.—During the year 1889 whose duty was it to examine the book for 1888?
A.—Mine.
Q.—When do you say you reported it to Mr. Lister?
A.—In 1886 or 1887, I am not quite sure.
Q.—And you reported it to Dr. Stewart?
A.—Yes.
Mr. Thurburn.—What about the assessed taxes book?
A.—That is another book also which I said had the same defect in it.
Q.—And did you report that the assessed taxes book was not balanced?
A.—No.
Q.—Only the Crown Rent book?
A.—When I made my report, I made my report on both books.
Mr. Bird.—You were aware that the books were not balanced?
A.—Yes. It is impossible for one man to examine this book (Rent Roll) because I had to attend to seventeen departments and had 15,000 vouchers to go through.
Q.—Did you examine that this total received in 1887, $164,074, had been paid into the Bank?
A.—I don't think I did.
Q.—What did your examination of this book (Rent Roll) consist of?
A.—I really don't recollect now. It is such a long time ago.
Q.—Don't you think you saw whether the $164,074 had been paid in?
A.—I think I did.
Q.—You checked that off then?
A.—Yes, because (indicating) all these are my ticks.
Mr. Thurburn.—Unless you saw that this money was received it would be no check?
A.—Exactly.
Mr. Bird.—You may recollect Mr. Nicolle said that the amount that year had been received within $3 or $4.
The Committee then adjourned until Monday, March 6th, at 3 p.m.
FOURTH MEETING.
March 6th, 1893.
Present:—Mr. E. J. ACKROYD, Chairman,
Mr. J. THURBURN.
Mr. S. J. Bird.
Mr. F. J. BADELEY, Secretary,
Mr. H. E. Wodehouse called.
The Chairman.—What is your name?
Witness.—Henry Ernest Wodehouse.
Q.—When were you first appointed Acting Treasurer?
A.—In 1888.
Q.—Can you give us the date?
A.—In the summer, I cannot say nearer than that—June or July.
Q.—And you continued so until?
A.—Until the end of 1889.
Q.—Or the beginning of 1890, when Mr. Fleming arrived?
A.—1889 I think it was.
Q.—And you resumed?
A.—In the summer of 1890.
Q.—Until?
A.—December, 1890.
Q.—Do you remember what leave Mr. Lister originally had; that is to say how long you were to be at the Treasury?
A.—I think it was a year or sixteen months, but I could not be sure which.
Q.—When you took up your position did you examine the Office and see what books were kept?
A.—I did.
Q.—What sums of money were received?
A.—Yes.
Q.—And what checks, if any, there were?
A.—I generally enquired into the administration of the Office.
Q.—What did you find in respect to the receipt of Crown Rent? What was the system adopted, whose duty was it to receive the rent, and so on?
A.—Generally speaking it was the duty of the cashier to receive the money.
Q.—Whom do you mean by the cashier?
A.—I mean the Chinese shroff.