CO129-334 - Governor Nathan - 1906 [5-7] — Page 438

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unwilling to impose such a punishment on two officers who

have shown energy, capacity and tact in carrying out their

police duties in a country comparatively recently brought

under British control and where therefore such qualities

are specially needful. Moreover it is not possible to omit

from consideration that these officers who had had little

experience of accounts were left with insufficient instruc-

14

tions and were given to assist them an unscrupylous subor-

A

dinate whose previous history, had it been known as it

should have been, rendered him absolutely unfit for the

trust they reposed in him. I am therefore disposed to con-

sider that the present case would be adequately dealt with

by my communicating to the officers concerned my views as

set forth above as to their respective responsibilities and

blameworthiness.

13.

I now submit the matter for Your Lordship's

decision. Should it be decided that the loss is not to be

made good by the officers responsible for it I shall re-

quire Your Lordship's authority to write off the amount of

$2,903.08. Should the contrary decision be arrived at it

will be necessary to ascertain whether Mr. Ross has any rea-

sons to put forward why he should not make good his share

of the loss before I direct him to do so.

14.