CO129-387 - Individuals - 1911 — Page 217

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in isolated cases, the shroff was collecting money outside the office.

They ascertained this fact, after he had absconded, from me.

Use of prohibited Forms.

6. It should be explained that the forms in question had

been in use for very many years, with official sanction and approval.

They were of the nature of bills and receipts in one, such as are usually used by tradesmen in this country, not becoming receipts until signed. It was this to which Mr Messer took exception, and I immediately gave

instructions that the words "Received from", with which these forms com- -menced, should be crossed out before the bills were sent out, personally seeing, in many cases, that this was done. Carelessness (and, I am per- -suaded, collusion, in some cases, with the shroff), on the part of the Chinese clerks whose duty it was to make out the bills, caused the occa- -sional omission of the necessary erasure. The stock in hand of these

forms was large, and I thought it best to continue their use until they were exhausted, crossing out the receipt part in the case of bills to be

sent out.

Retention of money by shroff.

T

7. There appears to be a general misapprehension as to the

status of this shroff. He was,

and his predecessors had been before him, the shroff of the Sailor's Home. From motives of economy, one of my predecessors had suggested, and the suggestion was approved, that this man, who was not a Government servant, be employed as shroff to the Mer- -cantile Marine Office, the Harbour Office, and the Government Gunpowder Depot, from each of which he originally received allowances. That from the Mercantile Marine Office was subsequently merged in that from the Harbour Office, and the man who absconded was in receipt of the two allow- -ances, in addition to his salary from the Sailor's Home, which is not a Government establishment. Not being primarily a Government servant, all his time was not at the disposal of the Government, and the arrangements

made