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Shortly after this it came to my notice through unofficial
channels that a Mr. R.A. von Kobza, s tyling himself the General
Agent of the Immigration Department was collecting revenue on
behalf of Government and making refunds of deposits and that,
further, claimants were being officially advised to apply to the
"General Agent" if they wished to avoid delay in obtaining
refunds. As the officer entrusted with the duty of making all
payments on behalf of Government, either directly or through
authorised representatives in other departments I could not
allow this practice to continue. The Immigration Officer himself
was absent from his office on that day, but at my request his
assistant gave instructions that the repayment of deposits by the
General Agent was to cease forthwith. The next day the Immigration
Officer himself and Mr. von Kobza came to see me. My report to
Government in L.M. "General Agency" gives details of the relations
with the "General Agent",
(Mr. Pudney read this report which was also laid before
the Commission as a Confidential Paper).
and it is of interest to note that whilst this report was under
discussion certain revenue collections by the General Agent were
paid into Treasury by cheques drawn on the account of the "Kobza
Art Studio."
A.
૨.
Chairman: Mr. Pudney, you have been so detailed and ho helpful
generally in your report that from my point of view I don't think
there is very much for us to ask you, except for a few questions
regarding the prescribed system of book-keeping in force, which I
would like to get clear in my own mind. You tell us there is no
prescribed system of book-keeping in force in every Department
allowing for modification and nimimum requirements?
Yes.
There is a fairly well understood system of book-keeping in force
in every Department allowing for modifications and minimum
requirements. At what would you put the minimum knowing the system
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