CO129-242 - Governor Des Voeus Acting Governor Stewart - 1889 [8-12] — Page 336

16.

a

Government Audit. But the accounts

are not kept in a manner that would I think be found satisfactory by any practical Engineer

or man

of business. A case now under investigation fully bears out the above statement. The.

and

accounts are I believe correctly charged and entered against the various votes as for example "Main drainage "Sanitary Norks" or new reads or be

buildings, But if the question be asked (as has recently

been done) on what specific works has the expenditure on account of

" Main drainage and

the

Janitary Vote "

been incurred the departmental books

give no information;

Rince

or

if

I want

to know (as I have repeatedly done .__ my arrival) what has been the expenditure the maintenance of any building

arr

or road in the

Colony,

the departmental accounts do not show

what I require. The information is doubtless obtainable, but to effect

this

335

17.

the thousande

vouchers which have passed through the

this an

analysis is needed

of the

of

office. To give

an

I may

idea of the labour involved

state that during the past month of June there were no

less than 405 separate"

vouchers . To enable me to reply to

to reply to your letter

N: 1015 of 1t ultimo respecting expenditure on account of the Sanitary Vote, will probably occupy

a clock for 21⁄2 months, and yet

I maintain (and confidently

believe that every practical man will

with

me) that no Engineer

agree expected to carry

can be out work methodically

and economically unless he has the

of

Miano

of promptly ascertaining the cost every detail of the work. To obtain such result the services of

book Keeper

Qu

thoroughly trained in public works

accounts (than which

probably

no accounts are

a man is

more intricate ) are required. It is doubtful whether such obtainable in the Colony, and as no

thing

cani

approaching a satisfactory system can

be