VALUELESS CHEQUES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 201, 19 May 1908, Page 8

VALUELESS CHEQUES.

CASHED WITHOUT DIFFICULTY

NEGLIGENCE OF, TRADESPEOPLE.'/ : JUDICIAL COMMENT Tho ease.'with. which' valueless cheques can bo cashed was. tho/ subject of judicial cohimont at tho Supreme Court yosterdny." When tho Grand Jury to.'thd Court after', having' completed to task the foreman _(Mr. F. Townsond). a'ddressod His'. Hoiio.ur Mr. Justice Chapman 1 as followsr—''L liave been asked to 'oxprtes.to you-tho surprise, ; 'of, the Jury . at / the. ease 'with"; which cheques which have come .before us in certain, cases were cashed, by, business people. In one. 'tii tho pheques.,in' question tho; amount was.not. even filled .iii the- body, nor was, the signature of another completa.'". Then ■ again another bore x the date.'of twelyo months ago.-."- Another' matter which I have been asked to meiitibii is the habit of publicans in .issuing blank cheques to. people .in /a ...'partly "intoxicated condition. That- wo ;think tends to crlmo iii a greater-degree thaii-in .tho past ". : His''Honour in reply/ said"l am glad you, havo. referred. to this,.matter;; '.The subjeet has, I may ■ mention, been running in. my mind for some time. I, havo drawn atteri-/ tion to the fact here, and:. 1/have , also had occasion to. make observations on tho. subject. elsewhere.. ,-The passing,- of/'small valueless cheques _is becoming -quite a. common offence in this province.-, and. in other parts of tho Dominion as well. I can only attribute it as 'you did to tho. ease . with which absolute strangers ,sebm : to ;be able" to. got "bheqiies cashed. ' I don't kijow why. it-is so. If the - attention .of the public! is drawn to the fact it .will, I think,; do, good." 1/, thank you : for, your-. observations'.\on' the ! 'siibject. As yoii'.are .aware,,if ' a man makes up his mind to get/hold blank cheque, form'he can as,a rule do'-so.■).Banks find'it.necessary to sell cheques at the ,'countcr,' and if/a man having-a decent appearance-:asks for orie :! he can get ' it;- What' you mention, also,- that publicans readily hand out/cheques, to' customers, is a/vthing which certainly ' ought' to bo checked, though I can't suggest' any "way by which: that" can be dolie' unlesslicensing committees care.to draw.;,the". attqfitionNbf publicans to/the practice, and. caution,; them against it.-.. I don't know howjiiir. that will prove' effectual;; it. . might - have-a/slight' tendency for .good-inthis, xdirection." 'I/am glad, you' havo .made the ' obseryationj .because; publicity,, always 'does' .'some 'gbod:," - • His Honour then / thanked tho jury for: tlie careful manner in /which tlmy' had attended to their duties and . discharged .them. from further'a'ttehdancb.-, '/' / •' ■ ;