62
X
153
Mr. Forrest: By according recognition to that general agency I
was in asense inducing the public to trust their money as
well as their affairs to the general agency, and as according
that recognition on the basis of which the public might trust
it, I had to make sure that I was inducing the public to
trust something trustworthy.
Chairman: You did not consider that the Goverment uditor o me
into this in any way?
A
Hone whatever, sir.
Q
A
в
A
Q
By virtue that Governant was a party interested in this
agreement which you had signed as head of the department?
No question of public money arises, as I have maintained before.
If you were hesitant on the score of integrity and safeguards,
would not the more usual course have been either to seek the
appointment of the general agency by public tender or by the
usual form of cash security?
If I were hesitant: but I was not hesitant.
A moment ago you said you realized that Government and your
Department and the public monies might be involved and I
translated that, perhaps wrongly, into the word "hesitant"
If you had any searchings of heart about the ultimate result,
either of public monies or of the duties or any part of the
duties of your Department, would it not have been more usual
to get an agent secured by the usual guarantee?
Certainly, on your premises.
As a matter of fact, if I remember rightly, and subject to the correction of Captain Kobza himself, that clause sug- gesting the appointment of Linstead & Davis as auditors was inserted on his own suggestion and not mine.
But I had no doubt whatever.
You are providing here that the general agent shall open an
account with the H.K. & Shanghai Bank for the purposes of
this agreement, so that manifestly you had contemplated that there would be monies in the hands of the general agent, subject
to the provisions of this agreement. There is no provision
whatsoever for making that account other than an account
Page 150Page 151
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.