Sessional_Paper_1893 — Page 574

( 10 )

since.

Mr. Bird.-Whom did you take the Office over from?

A.-Mr. Lister died, and Mr. Wodehouse was in charge just before I went there. Q.-You never suspected Alves?

A. On the contrary, I thought he was the best Officer in the Treasury. Q.-You never heard he was speculating heavily?

A-I never heard anything before he absconded, but I have heard a great deal

Q.-You never knew that he was building a Terrace in Kowloon ?

A.I did not know that Victoria View was his until the other day. I heard that he had some building there.

Q-What is the total amount of his defalcations?

A.-$59,000 as far as we can at present ascertain. It may be a little less on account of payments and things difficult to find out.

The Chairman.--Could you give us a statement of what years those defalcations extend over?

A.-1889, 1890, 1891, and 1892.

Q.--Could you not give us the several amounts?

A. About $12,000 a year as far as we can make out.

Q.--He appears then to have taken the same amount every year?

A. Yes, as far as we have ascertained. Sometimes it was $1,000 or $2,000 more or less.

Mr. Thurburo.--Had the cashier anything to do with the receipts ? A.--No, the receipt books were kept entirely in Alves' charge.

Mr. Bird.--Did these Crown Rent counterfoils pass through Mr. Carvalho's hands ? A.--No.

Q. Would not the cashier notice that he had got only $10 instead of $100? A.-No, at the end of the day the amount would be brought up and the total would be brought to the cash book.

Q.-Not entered in detail?

A.-No.

Mr. Thurburn.--What were the cashier's duties?

A. I always regarded the general supervision of the staff as one of the most important.

The Chairman.-Had he anything to do with the cash?

A.--He had to do with anything that came with money inside. The shroffs really receive the money at the wickets, and money paid in by the public would be paid to the shroffs. If the payer was an Englishman he would probably pay it to the cashier.

Q.--Were the receipts never signed by the cashier?

.A.--They were never supposed to be. They were supposed to be signed by the accountant, who was in charge of that particular branch.

Mr. Bird.I myself have paid money and received receipts and they are all signed by Alves.

A.--Yes, that was so until lately. I sign them myself now. The shroff practically had to sign and put his chop on. In addition to that the accountant had to sign. The Chairman.-Things were really left in the hands of the accountant? A.- Yes, so far as signing receipts was concerned.