COMMISSION ONLY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 208, 16 June 1936, Page 6

COMMISSION ONLY.

“FIRM LOOKING FOR TROUBLE.” COMMENT BY A MAGISTRATE. ;I’er Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 15. “A firm that employs an agent on terms like this, on commission only, with no salary, is looking for trouble. Possibly an end will be put to this sort of thing by our present Govern—ment,” said Mr W. R. McKean, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, when Leonard Arthur Powell, aged 20, a salesman (Mr B‘. Hart) admitted 32 charges of obtaining small sums totalling £B6 138 3d by falsely representing that he was employed by the \Vellington ‘.S‘lot Machine Company. ‘ The accused {had been employed by the company from October until the beginning of last December, when, 'because of the unsatisfactory way in which he was conducting business, he was asked to return the machines in his possession and to account for the money-received, said Senior- Detective Hall. He had spent all the money at the races, and then went on falsely representing that he was employed by the firm, in the hope of getting money, which he intended to invest at the races. He had trayelled over the country, and although 32 persons had complained, numerous others had been defrauded. Mr Hart said that his client had been in business on his own When only 16., employing about 20 salesmen at that time. His success had apparently contributed to his downfall. He was employed on this company on commis—sion, and as he had to :pay his own expenses he would have had to be a supersalesman to be successful. His only previous conviction concerned an unpaid hotel bill for 14s. The present matter

would [probably be a lesson to him. The accused was admitted to proba—tion for three years and ordered to make restitution. “You have had a very narrow es.— ca‘po from imprisonment, and if you come before the court again you will not have any consideration,” the Magistrate said.