§ MR. CORRIE GRANTI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether it is the duty of the clerks to Boards of Guardians, when checking the master's accounts, as required by Article 25 of the General Order, 14th January, 1897, to examine and verify the cash balance in the hands of the master; and, if it is not, whether he will consider the desirability of amending it.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. WALTER LONG,) Bristol, S.It is the duty of the clerk to the Guardians, under the Article referred to, to examine the master's receipt and payment account, and to ascertain that the balance shown therein is correct. He is not required to call upon the master to produce the amount of any balance, which, according to the account is in his hands, and it does not seem to me that this course is necessary; the master has to account to the district auditor for any such balance. I may add that moneys received by an officer on behalf of the Guardians are required to be forthwith paid over to the treasurer of the Union. If, at any time, too large a balance seems to be remaining in the master's hands, it would be proper that the clerk should call the attention of the Guardians to the matter.
§ MR. CORRIE GRANTIs it not a fact that the auditors only examine the accounts once a year, and that is the only check on the cash in the master's hands. Would it not be better to have a more frequent check?
§ MR. WALTER LONGI have said that if at any time the balance is too large, it is the duty of the clerk to report the fact to the Guardians.