HEAVIER FINES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 30, 5 February 1937, Page 8

HEAVIER FINES.

FALSE STATEMENTS. CASH BENEFITS OBTAINED. MAGISTRATE'S WARNING. "The cases brought before me are all more or less old as they mostly extend over 12 months. As I have previously indicated, cases o.f further false declarations will be met with more severe penalties in addition to the defendants having to repay the money they wrongfully obtain," said Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in dealing with several men prosecuted by the Inspector of Factories, on snmmons, in the Police Court to-day on charges of making false statements under the Employment Promotion Act for the purpose of obtaining benefit. Inspector Grandison prosecuted on behalf of the Department of Labour. Wilfred <J. Butt, who made nine false declarations and received £5 17/3 in excess of what he was entitled to, was fined £6 and costs 10/. * A single man and a casual wliarf labourer, Harold Stevens Morgan, was lined £20 and costs. The inspector said Morgan made 25 false statements, in which he declared his earnings were nil, whereas in some cases he earned as much as £7 per week. He was paid £15 14/ more than he was entitled to. Having made 17 false declarations and obtained £9 in excess, another single man, Roy A. Tattersall, was fined £10 and costs 10/. "This man declared his own earnings correctly,'but not those of his wife, who earned an average of £2 3/6 per week," •said Inspector Grandison in respect to William F. Wilson. "He made 25 false jffcatemcnts and received £21 7/7 in excess." Wilson was fined £22 and cc*ats 10/. James R. Waters was fined £6 and costs. He made six false declarations and received in excess £5 2/. In reply to requests for time to pay the fanes, the magistrate advised defendants to make application to the clerk of the Court and said that the matter of paying by weekly instalments would be considered.