A BIG SHORTAGE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19461, 7 November 1928, Page 11

A BIG SHORTAGE.

BUILDING SOCIETY'S ffUNDS

SECRETARY CHARGED WITH THfiPT.

(PBUBS ABBOdIAttOW MUMftAlt.) ATJOEtANt), November J. The tfibl of Frederick Webstel', formerly secretaty of the WhAtigar rei Co-bpefatitre Terminating Biilid iiig Society, who is chai-ged With Steal* ing from the Society sums amounting to £I4OB. Was continued ia the Supretne Court to-day, . Donald (jlynes Webstei-, BO* of accused, said he forked in the Buud- ■ ihg flbtitety'S dfflbe With hifl fathwi who held several bthef fthfe t^aftge' rei Racihg Club., tie noticed h Shortage to ' potted it to the directors. He wM » n the bffiee for three &ad a half ,y6arß> and there had been nd suggestion-01 , theft Or Idss during that time, ... 11l crosa-examinatiOn .iaiq there wW a practice in the office ot inakina people fiUahcial toheU tney aotually nad ttrtt paid, the money.. On the day of a bafibt he would write up people who were in arrears as u they Were ahead. There Wals a ]bt done. It had been done fpr.ftll the directors except Mf CraWfdroi . some cases this led to people getting credit for payments they liad net made. Miss Brown and witness Were lok .in their office methods and incurred his father's reprimand ota occasipAs. . Irt reply to Mr. Meredith, the Crown witness said the* dia no» take a note, of the people they Blade financial and it wftß a matter ofme" mory whetherthey, got that money paid to them* People witajd biinjLjii their pass books aha, those in the.omco Would see the shatd b&WJjP fUrtnef .than thepSSs bdokafiqWtitilti foake the.Pass bo6k agree with IM share register Without getting Attj, money. He usually did dlj that. ■ JMiefl Held. adebuhtant,. wM hfol |»- araiaed the fettitdihft Mid that at the ead of each ye&r thete bhdUld h&ve befen . a balhnde t» cash in hand, but, IB fabt tntfa WM . itbhe. He lh&de ttttt the total «r«tf in the books tb be £1602. * / CrOsS-exatnined, Witness Said th&fe A hew ledgef and ft jdilrH&l With & ft# . ehtries WeregiVea hiih.RUsttAldhiSi there were ho fithw led#* Md jouthAU . "I Mve been Vety ilS*j btit Sdffiebhe Buggefeted that my hdfibUf WM &l Stake." said Alesaader Me«ad flUSti whea he entoed the Wita&ia ho*: "I aw prepared to put my back iftto it aha stick it us ieag&s 1 c&h.", Witness, at his HoUiUi^s Saa svea '■% ek&if* fit 6oUng§Pff table. ItHefis fl&id he Wad a publio/WeOdfit* aht, and Bftetf td that was headmaster bf the HifeUi-afigi idhobl fofjtli ye&fa. He was aUditbf fot the Buiidiag Soeiety, and oaea tddk weD> stet-'s bliktse wh«i lie ms fc&oviussitig. Whefl webstst fifst started' t&fy et 6 Wk wae writtea in w teguia#. witaesd aid.mil mi jouriial wdl»k fof hitfi&elf.' Latef 'ffw ster bebaae in ehteifihg up. VVithesfe fluently , listed 1% pi hi- p&jrttesit» but tekiifee 'he loflked upoh hiol M a m&ii, AM wanted tft ttteiat fti&i. WitflMß did _ ) of the bobk, He Mffl fd\lMj,th6 ' dockets exoeedidgly,bbrte<St« Afwf'Webiter's firtit wtnesi #is. nnable tft Verify the cash in oabd because.the balance was bo late. He Jfepotted td Mr Crawford a shortage of approximately £I3OO for the year, ended Aug-ust-12th, 1638. ■ When Mr Meredith formally asked witness if he had ever had any of that tosher withess respoadedthat hewas "neither a thief) a rogiie< new a Uafi" In reply to f6r accused, witness said not fafefl • evidence in the Lower 06Urfi. . He W had advise front a dbctbr that he oUjjht riot to be *Sntn. ctetiiils of ifloS® books, and that he should not giVe p¥i» dence. Witness said he had not haa legal advice, that he ought to. come to Coilrt. His sister h&d had- W#" vice, something to the effect that ledger and journal of the Society were" his own propertyrbbught with his own money. There was a ledger ahd a j6tiN nal that he had fiOt over Reid Witness was not certain if these still existed,- but he had not destroyed fcl men asked b? Ms Honour Where these bo6ks Wthtel «Md: have ~ not the slightest ideifc They tod* *ll my books add everything ttm nie when I became Ul, and I have ndt been back td WhaflgareL u c In reply to Mr Johnttone, witildaS said he eottld have eotinted the cash lii hand oh Angust l6th atmually lf he had desired. The tash in haftd ifi the b&nk Wefe Sdmetimes taken toother in the balanee'ihebts. ~ WUliafu John- Alexander Thompsofl» auditor, said he found the Building fld l ciety's- books very incomplete, and ttM&ttti. mn»; mn aiißgiag. ; The general ledger and journal were practically non-existent. He found a total deficiency of £ISOB from the inception of the Society to September 10th last. He did hot Knew there tt&S ih etiiteafes a ledger and a Jdumal dating from the beginning of the Society. '• The case was further adjourned until to-morrow.