“Bought Beer To Sell Appliances"

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31206, 2 November 1966, Page 20

“Bought Beer To Sell Appliances"

(flew Zealand Press Association! HASTINGS, November 1. The Hastings manager of Charles Begg and Company, Ltd., Rae Miller Walker, “ingratiated himself with Maoris by buying beer for them to sell home appliances,” Mr A. J. Coleman told Mr W. K. L. Dougall, S.M., today, when Walker admitted four charges of accepting family-benefit orders to pay for appliances bought on hire-purchase.

Beggs pleaded guilty to 10 similar charges. The Magistrate fined Walker £l5 and the company £45. Beggs accepted 77 family benefit orders as payment for appliances bought on hirepurchase by Maoris, said Mr Coleman. The orders were worth £ll4.

Mr Coleman said police inquiries revealed that appliances were being sold to Maori women and family benefit books were handed to the company, pre-signed, and used to make payments on the appliances. The orders were held in the office until they became due and were then cashed. Beggs continued to accept books after a prosecution in

March last year at Napier for the same offence. The offences took place between September 1963 and April, this year. Six women were involved in the 10 charges. The charges against Walker related ‘o ones which occurred when he was a parttime salesman for Beggs, before he was employed as the manager, said Mr Coleman. Walker was party to the acceptance of 34 family benefit orders worth £4B. “He made himself known to the Maoris by drinking with them and buying them beer,” said Mr Coleman. “He used high-pressure sales tactics. He ingratiated himself with the Maoris to sell appliances so he could receive his 10 per cent commission. He flouted hire-purchase agreements and did not worry about the scruples of others.”

“I find tit difficult to resist thinking that Walker went out of his way to tell the women that it was proper to hand over books,” said the Magistrate. “I can’t resist thinking that if they hadn’t handed over their books, they would not have got the goods.”