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accountants in the Government Service.
He was immediately before
his transfer to my office Accountant in the Supreme Court?
Mr. Smith: Yes.
Q. Was it ever considered, as far as you know, by any person in
the Secretariat, whence orders proceed for the allocation of
staff, whether the Supreme Court or the Post Office stood more
in need of accountants from the European S.C.and A.S. than my
my office did?
A.
છે.
A.
4.
Apportionment of the
I find it hard to answer that question.
S. C.& A.S. is largely in the hands, as you know, of my Principal
Assistant. It comes up to me for confirmation but the allotting
of posts to the advantage of all departments is in his hands as
far as definite recommendations are concerned. I do not feel
it is my duty to go into all the allotments of the clerical
staff in detail, although I give final approval.
The Accountant-General had called attention to the absence of
a proper accountant in my Department?
Yes.
Then the proper action would seem to be, if that report is
believed and if it is considered a point of importance, to set
about finding an accountant.
If there were one to find.
The answer is, therefore, that there was none available?
A.
3.
A.
I think that must be the answer.
.. You first mentioned the possibility of a public inquiry to me
on a date I cannot recollect, but I remember that it was a Friday
evening shortly after five o'clock in your office.
A.
as that before you had yourself suggested it?
Q.
No. I think that was the first intimation.
A. Yes. I remember that very well.
Mr. Forrest: Next day I wrote you a semi-personal letter which I
invited you to put on Government files if you saw fit?
Mr. Smith: I remember that
would like to call.
giving a list of the witnesses you