10
0
558
(
ary Journal are to be kept. It is submitted that this mul- tiplication' of books is unnecessary, as the general Ledger shows in full detail all imprests and it is not understood
what transactions there would be which could not be pas8- ed through the principal Journal and Ledger. In para- graph 6 of the covering despatch the Secretary of State
says
"that the method of daily and monthly abstracting will present itself as novel in some Colonies, although
it has been long established and has proved itself as
most effective and convenient in other".
The system of monthly abstracting
was in force in HongKong some 40 years ago but was long since abandoned as antiquated.
If a ledger is intelligently kept, it serves the purpose of both ledger and monthly abstract, and it is submitted that the ledger as kept here serves
these purposes, the only difference being that the en-
tries have to be totalled vertically instead of horizon-
tally. In the ledger as kept here, a folio or folios are
L opened for each head of service both for revenue and ex-
A
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penditure and a separate column' is kept for every sub-
head with a total column. Similarly with advances, im-
prests, deposits,&c., a separate column is kept for each
individual sub-accountant and therefore there is no chance
of any advance, imprest or deposit being lost sight of.
The next question to be considered is
that of the accounts of sub-accountants and how they
are to be amalgamated with the Treasurer's accounts.
It may practically be said that in HongKong sub-account-
:
ents only exist as far as revenue is concerned as all
payments are made from the Treasury.
Before