NO BILL RETURNED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 286, 3 December 1930, Page 9

NO BILL RETURNED.

DIRECTION TO THE JUAY. COMPANY OFFICIAL CHARGED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NELSON, Tuesday. In his address to the-grand jury in the Supreme Court to-day Mr. Justice Reed, in referring to the charge of alleged theft laid against Thomas Edward Bird, said the accused was the secretary of the Golden Bay Cement Company Industrial Union of Workers, at a salary of 7/6 a week. He was charged with the theft of various sums of money. His Honor went on to say that the general count was bad, as it was laid down in the English Act that it was necessary to show that some specific sum of money must be alleged to have been received from some specific individual or company on some specific date, requiring it to be paid to some specific person or company. This had not been shown. : The indictment was bad, and it would be the duty of the jury to return no bill. It was not the fault of the person who drew up the indictment that it was bad, as on the depositions his Honor could not see how the charge could have been laid'in any other way. His Honor added that the management of the union seemed to have been shockingly slack. No records of any sort were kept. It was not shown that if there was any deficiency, it was due to the act of accused. The union could not expect its books to.be kept in a proper manner for 7/6 a week. He would suggest that no bill be returned. No bill was returned, and Bird was discharged.