No. 1/24.
Hon. CT.
- A (2) 18 -
Enclosure P.
MISCELLANEOUS DEPOSITS BEARING INTEREST.
DEPOSITS.
I beg to refer to the system by which record is kept of "Miscellaneous Deposits Bearing Interest."
2. This book is not kept in ledger form and the only check that can be exercised to prove whether a deposit is still in existence is to see whether the column "Date of refund" has been filled in. Many of these deposits being for individual amounts of some thousands of dollars, the check is of some importance.
3. It thus occurred that in examining the securities given by officers in respect of their pecuniary liabilities it was necessary to refer to these books as far back as 1917.
4. A certain amount of risk attaches to using books over 10 years old. You will notice, for instance, that there is a June 1917 deposit, Lam Kwong $50, still held and the pages at that portion of the book are loose. In this particular instance, it is noted that eleven payments of interest have had to be entered in an almost impossibly small space.
5. I should be glad to know if there would be any objection to opening personal ledger accounts for these deposits in the orthodox form,
(Sgd.) P. L. COLLISSON,
Auditor.
2.1.31.