3.
Literal conformity with Colonial Regulations could only be achieved at the expense of what have been for years regarded as indispensable safeguards in the proper disbursement of public
moneys.
The only other suggestion advanced by the Auditor was that the cheques and cash remaining in Treasury at the close of the year should be refunded to the appropriate votes and redrawn in the following year after the requisite numerous supplementary votes and warrants had been obtained from Council and Secretary of
State.
Apart from the considerable waste of time and labour involved in this proposal there would be a very serious delay in effecting payment to local contractors at the season of the year when their need for money is greatest (just prior to Chinese New
Year).
It might be considered also whether this proposal would conflict with C.R. 288 where it states that "expenditure properly chargeable to the account of a given year must as far as possible be met within the year". In any case it would introduce an un- welcome factor into the already difficult task of budgetting.
The position appears to be that the Auditor's require- ments would be met if, at the close of the financial year, the Post Office Collection Box were substituted for the Treasury Accountant 's safe. The Treasury, however, strongly maintains that the end will not justify the means; vigilance should not be relaxed to satisfy a parsimonious and meticulous interpretation of rules.
The whole question seems to depend on the interpretation of the word "payment" in the first sentence of C.R.288, and the Treasury asks that this be sufficiently broad to embrace the existing Treasury custom which indeed is the only practical and commonsense method in the special circumstances peculiar to Hong
Kong.
There is no suggestion that the spirit or intentions