FAILURE TO SEND GIFT PARCELS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23971, 11 June 1943, Page 6

FAILURE TO SEND GIFT PARCELS

PRISON SENTENCE IMPOSED "Actions such as these may make people diffident about giving money to firms which undertake the work of sending parcels of comforts to servicemen overseas," said the, Magistrate (Mr H. Morgan, S.M.). in the Timaru Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when Jack Roddick Home was charged with falling to arrange for the dispatch to a soldier overseas of parcels of tobacco to a total value of £3 11s. for which he was paid. Home pleaded guilty. . Accused was the manager of a Timaru store, and for the convenience of a customer he undertook to arrange with an agent of the National Patriotic Fund Board to have parcels of tobacco sent to a soldier overseas, said Detective-Ser-geant E. M. Thomas. He failed to make any arrangements with the agent, and paid the money into the account of his employing firm. The tobacco had been sent since. said Detective-Sergeant Thomas. Accused also undertook to make up and dispatch parcels to soldiers overseas for other clients, continued Detec-tive-Sergeant Thomas. There had been complaints about non-arrival of parcels, and investigations had revealed that they had not been sent. Home’s explanation was that his employers had threatened to terminate his employment it he did not show higher business returns, and he accepted money which he paid into the firm’s account. ~ „ . Detective-Sergeant Thomas said that arrangements had been made to send all the parcels that had been paid for. Had it not been for accused’s assistance, tlve matter could not have been straightened out. Home had maintained that lie did not himself benefit, as the money was put through the firm’s account. As the funds went to the benefit of the firm, the proprietors had undertaken to send the parcels, said Mr A. D. McRae. who appeared for Home. The Magistrate said that Home did attempt to obtain some benefit, as he endeavoured to retain his position through paving the money to his firm’s account and depriving the soldiers of the parcels. Defendant was sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour.