1 No. 825 A.
2 Frou
3 B. H. BADEN POWELL, Esa,
4 Offg. Conservator of Forests, Punjab,
5 To
6 LEPEL GRIFFIN, Eag.,
7 Offg. Secretary to Government,
8 Punjab and its Dependencies. -
9 Dated Daunovsie, 4th September 1872.
10 Sir,
11 I wave the honor to submit the Annual Report for 1871-72. I have
12 to apologise first for the delay, due to circumstances which I must explain.
13 2. All the information and local reports were on my table by the end of
14 April, and I could have sent in my report by May 15th had it not been that the
15 text is accompanied by accounts. Now the Accountant-General’s accounts are
16 nearly always different from our books, owing to the system of treasury receipts
17 and remittance transfers, and the difference of date at which they may appear
18 as issued from one office books and entered in another, and this office has not
19 yet closed March’s accounts ; consequently, I cannot give accounts which agree
20 with his,—and this evil is chronic, and will occur ot year unless steps are
21 taken. I would suggest that the Accountant-General be invited to report on
22 the matter and asked if he cannot propose a remedy in communication with this
23 office.
24 _ 3. The almost endless correspondence which the present system entails
25 seriously detracts from the utility of this office in checking the actual facts, not
26 merely the forms, of expenditure.
27 4. Ihave also to apologise for the length of the report, but you will
28 observe that 1 have avoided (with two brief exceptions) all long appendices (which
29 rather disfigured last year’s report), and embodied everything that is possible in
30 the text. Sioaave: as this is probably the last Forest Annual Report I may
31 be called on to write, Iam anxious to give a complete view of the work and
32 state of the Department, omitting no matter which might be unsettled and
33 require a clue in the hands of my successor.
34 I have the honor to be,
35 Sir,
36 Your most obedient Servant,
37 B. H. BADEN POWELL,
38 Offg. Conservator of Forests, Punjab.