CO129-300 - Administrator Major Gen Gascoigne Governor Sir Blake - 1900 [7-9] — Page 559

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General Remarks on Chapters 1X and X.

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Reef 15 Our Co

Accounts should be kept in as simple

a form as possible compatible with proper checks being kept on receipts and expenditure and in such a way as to enable a balance showing their state to be struck at any moment. Attention should also be paid to saving of labour.

It is difficult without writing

at great length to criticize article by article the rules laid down in these chapters, but for accounts so simple as the HongKong Cash Accounts these rules appear to be somewhat complicated and to afford no better check than

the accounts now kept with some slight modifications. Rule 147 lays down that the Treasurer shall keep in his office certain books, and it is proposed to deal first with the cash book, form M, as regards receipts.

It would appear to be contemplated

by form M, that every individual payment to the Treasury should be entered in detail in the principal cash book

showing a voucher number, the person from whom received,

and the number of receipt

the description of receipt/issued with columns for cash,

bank and totals.

It must be borne in mind that the

Treasury in HongKong is a receiving rather than a col-

lecting department, all monies due, with the exception of

a portion of the assessed taxes in the villages which are collected by a tax collector, being actually tendered for

payment at the windows of the Treasury.

The monies so tendered are received

by shroffs (native accountants) of whom there are three.

Each shroff receives monies for certain classes of reven→

ue