CO129-629-4 Commerce and Industry Department- supplies branch. Includes a statement of accounts for May 1946-March 1950-... 1-11-1951 - 31-1-1952 — Page 46

LOWE. BINGHAM & MATTHEWS, HONG KONG

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bales of bacon (arrived ex the s.s. "Ruys" in December,

1949) costing approximately $95,000 and subsequently

condemned as unfit for human consumption. Up to the

present time this claim remains unsettled and no allow-

ance has been made in the appended accounts for any re-

coveries which may be received.

RICE SECTION

In reconciling the accounts with the Treasury

a number of errors and differences were found. We were

informed by the Treasury that their books had been closed

and audited and, therefore, that no corrections could be

made in the respective year for the subsequent errors we

brought to their notice. These errors are shown separately

in the 1946/47 accounts attached.

Barter Accounts

During the period under review a number of bar-

ter transactions took place and these have been summarised

in the accounts of this Section. We are informed that the

loss of 333.29 piculs in the "rice for rice" barter trans-

actions during 1946/47 was due to the inferior grade of

imported rice being exchanged for better grade local rice.

Commissions and Allowances

Messrs. Wing Wo Hing continued to act from May,

1946, as Government Distributing Agents for Rice, Flour

and Peas. As stated in the report of the Director of

Audit dated 15th July, 1948, there was no formal agree-

ment for this appointment, the terms of which were not

submitted for public tender as required by Colonial Regu-

lations. We have therefore accepted as correct the com-

mission figures shown in the departmental books and in-

cluded in the total amounts of commission shown in the

appended accounts of the Section.