LOWE, BINGHAM & MATTHEWS, HONG KONG
10.
bales of bacon (arrived ex the s.s. "Ruys" in December,
1949) costing approximately 95,000 and subsequently
condemned as unfit for human consumption. Up to the
present time this claim remains unsettled and no allow-
ance has been made in the appended accounts for any re-
coveries which may be received.
RICE SECTION
In reconciling the accounts with the Treasury
a number of errors and differences were found. We were
informed by the Treasury that their books had been closed
and audited and, therefore, that no corrections could be
made in the respective year for the subsequent errors we
brought to their notice. These errors are shown separately in the 1946/47 accounts attached.
Barter Accounts
During the period under review a number of bar-
ter transactions took place and these have been summarised
in the accounts of this Section. We are informed that the
loss of 333.29 piculs in the "rice for rice" barter trans- actions during 1946/47 was due to the inferior grade of
imported rice being exchanged for better grade local rice.
Commissions and Allowances
Messrs. Wing Wo Hing continued to act from May,
1946, as Government Distributing Agents for Rice, Flour
and Peas. As stated in the report of the Director of
Audit dated 15th July, 1948, there was no formal agree-
ment for this appointment, the terms of which were not
submitted for public tender as required by Colonial Regu-
lations. We have therefore accepted as correct the com-
mission figures shown in the departmental books and in-
cluded in the total amounts of commission shown in the
appended accounts of the Section.
4.8