Hon: Col: Sec:
(0 0 P X)
263
C 0.
3086
[Red 28 JAN 04]
With reference to the suggestion in your minute of 25/10/03 that I should settle with the Corps as to whether the defalcations should be made good out of the balance in hand, I have always taken steps to reduce the expenditure as much as possible and in consequence the Corps now has a balance in hand of over $14,000 out of which the defalcations could be made good.
With reference to the remarks as to the supervision over the accounts I would wish to point out that I have always endeavoured to check the accounts to the best of my power. S.M. Power had a splendid Army career and received a large salary, so that I had no cause to distrust him. My accounts show that I paid the total balance cash into the bank the day before I went on leave in June last, and the only defalcations previous to that date are a cheque for $165.81 on January 31st and a bill for $9 paid twice; the cheque was for books bought in England and as no receipt had been received by the middle of April I had a letter written to be sent to the firm for the receipt, this presumably was not sent by the Sergeant Major and after I went on leave he obtained a new cheque from Major Chalmers for the amount by showing him the original bill and the Sergeant Major falsified the cash account to deceive me on my return by showing the amount under the heading of clothing with a large item paid to India in Rupees.
The small sum of $39 I overlooked by mistaking a bill for a receipt.
The other amounts since my return from leave were balance cash which he was ordered to pay into the bank and which he kept, and in order to conceal his fraud he forged the bank paying-in book: I found this out within one week of the second fraud. The remaining amounts were balance cash which should have been in his hands when he was arrested.
I therefore beg to submit that except for the amount...