COPY.
2nd Assistant Auditor, Hong Kong to Acting Auditor.
7
Aink
*
Querid in (1) 33793/30
14 m. 33793/
Acting Auditor,
26th September, 1933.
In accordance with your instructions, I visited the Post
Office accompanied by Mr. Barton of the Treasury and examined
the stamp imprests in charge of ten Postal shroffs.
resultant findings are attached here to and have been agreed to
by Mr. Barton on behalf of the Treasury, and the total short-
age of $1,589.09 accepted by the Postmaster General.
The
2. It is difficult to refrain from adverse comment
upon the system employed for the provision of security against
theft. The facts show that the safe was opened by the burglar
with the original key or a duplicate thereof, and on enquiry
as to the provisions made for safe custody the following facts
were elicited. The shroffs place their locked receptacles at
close of business in this safe, the last shroff to do so is
required, to lock the safe and hand the key to Mr. Tam Sik
Hung the second Senior Mail Clerk. This latter officer
before closing up for the day places this safe key in a wooden
cupboard situated in the strong room used for locking up
This cupboard contains various
letters awaiting despatch.
other keys as well. The mail clerk having locked up the
offices, proceeds with a Chinese detective to search the
building so as to be assured that no one is secreted on the
premises. The strong room being locked and the general office
closed, the mail clerk (Tam Sik Hung) delivers the key of the
strong room personally to the Mail Superintendent, Mr. Hynes,
at his private residence. Every morning this mail clerk
calls at the Superintendent's house shortly after 6 a.m.
and opens up the office, and at 7.45 a.m. the shroffs arrive.
The key of the shroffs' safe is taken from the cupboard and
the mail clerk opens the safe and the shroffs remove their
locked