CO129-494 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1926 [9-10] — Page 566

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Rates, Water Accounts, etc. The system is that the Treasurer sends Defaulters Lists of outstanding accounts under their respective headings to the Crown Solicitor. On receipt of the lists the Crown Solicitor writes to the defaulters informing them that legal proceedings will be taken for the recovery of the amount due. The defaulters attend at the Crown Solicitor's Office to make payment, where apparently a similar practice to that which obtained at the Treasury existed, and as far as I am able to ascertain, a receipt would be given at the time of payment if de- manded, but apparently the person or persons making payment have been satisfied when the shroff has told them to call again for a receipt, or that it would be

forwarded to them. It might be as well at this

juncture, to review the situation which obtained in the

Crown Solicitor's Office during the latter part of

1925, and in 1926. Owing to the abnormal conditions which have existed in the Colony during the period

under review, I do not think it would be an exaggeration

to say that the number of defaulters of Crown Rent,

Rates, etc., have increased at least 400%, which has

entailed, in addition to the extra work thrown on the

Crown Solicitor in connection with the Trade Loan, an

enormous amount of legal work in connection with the

issue of legal notices and reminders. A comparison

between the total collections made by the Crown

Solicitor's Department reveals that whereas the collec-

tione in 1923, were $98,000, the collections for the

year 1925 (with the abnormal months of October to

December) were $235,216, and for the first six months

of