THEFT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 592, 21 August 1909, Page 7

THEFT.

IN WAREHOUSES AND SHOPS. BY EMPLOYEES AND PUBLIC, ' f ' ■ ■••. IT? :? A.'letter wtiiohfwe.'have recoived from .a , correspondent, on i the subjectVof stealing m warehouses' and ;shops,' opens;' up sbrno interesting ; subjects,* for inquiry .' j. The follow- ' ing Is tho'letteV:-— }:'. : ''?'*^■/?/''}. ••'.:,-:> ;■.; ;•=''■'.'• •'■'■: 'asi!".'reported, b .our.' Courts; appears at last to have roused; somo jiublliq attention. ", The extent is. depforablo,'..butV; the", cases 'whiohV' comeunder notice are few -in comparison to'tbe prevalent,; dishonesty. whioh has now to ;be -condoned by traders vend btbers. According to the Old Bobki: f 'He that'.sparoth, the rod spoileth the child, ,, r : ;For : a generation, such sound 1 maxims -ihave.: been , : held•;..<»!' be.voldfashioned and i<jut-of-clato; 'and' the First Offenders Act jset'thrsJ.'provcTb largely, on one.'side. The 'Act' was w'oll meant, and the: spirit'bf sentimehtaliam which had ; arisen with the "easier c'bhditibns of life';'.it only' sought- to give an offender whb had stumbled an opportunity to recover.. The Act probably: ever f ell :6hbrt 61. the .public :tentim«nt'.' .';There"'is! la' ( feeling' :6f'■.resentment in;generaV'against' any employer who' . even-prosocutes .an offending.;. assistant; The . trader, \. whb t was! tho person most ■, irampdiately'./concerned,; betimes ■learned.; that. in prosecuting, .beyond . jarring 'his ciistpraers' /Syrripathlis, this-VAot : : practicsllyi left -him ■ with no ledress. ■'•■■ Hβ found that the police and the court' were fully, imbued with populah.'sympathies,' and. that" tho'law.-at' cv6rjt ■' turn' was :..strajned. to. the advantage of: these deyelSpipE thieves.' 1 Considerations such as ~tbp4f'Md.'th«n*%eeffec(i.;'':'viif:'pdd''ejriployer does still, set iha law in. motion,- biit as. a 'rule- ho now "prefers'-'to quietly dismiss ■ the detected; but out of this a great evil arises. Tho'Cstaff of ."an, establishment : usually. sus..ipect" the cause of'ariy .such dismissal;'and see.,that no expenses or punishment follow detection; they learn-'that tho only risk:how xuii is: that of dismissal, if detected,.;and while the large majority of our people, are ingrained:-hpnnsfcy,.still .many fall-intojtho teimptatioii to .help'theniselves, induoed-by-this-easy-path which, has" been opeiiodi'and' paved -witn,, the best" intentibfts. "of 'so many 'breakdowns as oome ■■ rader.bne'e; notice,;l have- in saying- 'that, 'f or sbne; why, has.; been.savbd: First;off6hdbrs'''A'ct, : '-fifty'have been' tempted. am, etc., .: '-' VA^^; :: '^PJIWTARIAN.::, :■. ■■:, .;:<; v!; In. Reply. : : : ., ■ •'. ■'..■•.,;.; '.'• 'andSihreei'nianagers of vlargo ■ retail cstab-^' approached ; by'a , Domini'on .'■ representative /yesterday 1 for;' their , Vviewsr'on'tW s'ubJMtr'mattcr, of .this letter. • With : the exception of; brie vmaniger of %': retail 'firm, • -who ;thbugbt ';'. that the -evil', 'was ' increasing, • they all denied" that was ■ niore steal- ■ 4og;■: by,femployeos now , ;. than in the ■ ipast. Their.yiews'; in' s detail ; w«b of- a ..very ■Jβtefestirig nature^K:' Y . r .:'■;"-.:• . • ; ; v -The;factoryjmanßger ; of;.a ; big'wholesale ; ■firm- ; said' that; thefts .by'assistants were,.less • freqtient; than ■ they; had f been";, at;' some .fames, ■]&&&-, did.; not constitute' a.: .serious trouble.-.."-, Lprge and, varied; stock's."'naturally' ; effe'red. -temptatioriß V.io/jio.vijig; .assistants';, but .theVtemptatibns'Wore the; ctrefql .chbek: system;! which .was.' , exercised. :Y.His : '■ proseeatio'ns.in the past, missed."■'.'"■ Tbe (tlieffs 'werfr-' far:ni<>re'serious :,which topk-;plac<? priorUo,')/hij' : :. metits jby /the^firrkw/.He:;, "did-/" nqV ;know. ;''''.whjther';.'th'eseVth^W'^tbbli:, : plnc6'''.'befpre:'the ... cases ■ .went:-; ..onv board; iin; England, ■rorijwhethervthey'-.occurredVon-.the passage,' ! :but:ithey.■wereiofieiiverV.'exteneive. ,= : . .: - ,:- The ■:-. of,, another; : wholesale.' firm , ; sa«U;that,-tho, business; which;; h6... I » , _as y connected,'lost';vless,-npw.j. j -thr,p.ugh.*tho. dis< Vhone : ?ty of ;.;than: had sometimes; f.thaV'ithe eyil.iexisted ..in wholesale firms, es-.'pecially;-,where;;a..;go,od check system,\7as'riot; ''pr&otis^.4/. ; 3y^re. : ..pffe'nbee.-'..were.''sus'pefctetl/.' ■~Lisi.firto l : 'hq,d/;.bee;n:a<:cu ; stbmed.'>to place.-tho. mpitter" ( jnjith T e';han.ds ; ;:ot.a..detective,! and-'let' -thOvlaw- -,couwe.;: ;In two ".'instances the; re§u}t- had : been "unexpected, acquittal, 'but:.in .anothpr-vcaseraivheavy .had been imposed. It: appeared to him that a number :bf, these.\offQi)ders:were treated very Slightly'".by' tho':'courts." •Hβ.consideredrthat "'in'/:the .public./interest firms.,should -take against-persons carrying; on dis;;;honest practices• ..His-' firm ■ did -' not'lose : : muchHby;thpft of:igoods.,iri: ; transit.': When-■/eucb'-thefts wert vdiscoyered,'.-:he was convinced , they'Cpcurred' during .the hand- :. ling ■ of'tho-'.gpods ;at. .tho , other '.end. ;■< The ; bottoms, of teases'::were ; '.'clov.erly.vforced, ppen, ' ;nnd a: brick,'or other' make-weight, inserted, i •to "take ; the place.; bf.'the; ahstradted articles.

■:■ of Retail; Firms.- '':.'.: i" :'rt # dtaitted/ l by.:V.thiv i l .in'anager; of;: .a ; leading retail business that occasional losses were;'suffered -through tho.diEhonesty':of..om;plbyees. ;.Tho ?evil,. hpivever, :.was- : not .very /.pronounced,'.-, and . : tliero was;; no to . think' 'that'' itj was .'growing :':worse.,>v Where , these,; I , offences■; were! discovered,. tho':punishi.nieiitVwas:' usually; ..dismissal'.'- ; His-'-firm'.'did ;-'.-.nb£{i[eherajly;:-prM ■ the'..first ;place, thb; actual culprit' was the ■ leastHsuffbrer by -court• proceedings ;■ '■■ tho .-Bhame fell upon'parents, and other relatives,, '; Secondly of >the .courts was protracted, bufdensbme, and displeasing. "1 ; waste: hours : .of.itime.-.ih :prepsring.:for:. ; tlie .oqao,>and then. ; l.-am,;put into the box and ..'treated '£8 though I.were more criminal:than , ■. the/.persoiv neouseel; , -';. The manager, declared .-he.jspoke- from-sorrowful: experience 'of -the'' ways of cbiinsel, who, when they,had a- bad :,,'caeei..madeji.tlieir.iWlioy'to abuse.the other . ieide'.;.. Sufficient; punishment was entailed in: : 'instttnt , .'.diimissal;'.beoa"use>,it J wbeld- bo 'very i .tiifflciilt' for an^'';■.assistant', to.-,-get,': v. Bituatipn, iwlio conld: nptlprove This character: .; fb'rV,,honestyV. i was : tho!?quality : , which \ ' wa| "chiefly, looked fori'in-'alii ; a .'■ candidate, for-employment mjght be vouohed '■:.■ for' as smart, - diligent,- J and: p'roiujsing." but , ■unlessl;honesty -ho- : would not-be.i.llkoly:.to .be' eugagedi- : ; ■ - A'second of;a retail firm believbd' .; that.aigood deal of thieving was perpetrated: . ..byjempToyees,'and that-tho'prticticff was m-- ■-. creasing, , - ..His ,awh,-'finn. would 'bring , to' ■' coiiH :any'. offender .who ;.should. be', ,dis-coTCTea.Vbnt.^β:'-lanioiited.'that magistrates. were.-inolinrf: to i^treat .these'• .cases ■; lightly,;and;S6" dismiss .'charges whenever .it ; ; this /was .-, perhaps .■partly'v'roetionsi.ble' for 'tho .apparent • -the:;<!vii; ;•-* ~;;. v; : '

V t iinother;: : retaiU vtrouble in::' : the>:pa3t,vbut-'tho'ught. .th'dtVail the pre--Bent'/eraplpyeei'-qf- his .firm' were"abovo the; practice. ;;';lt;'was: : iinu'q3sibl<i'.for -firms, to know what tlie "private .circumstances'of their workers .w.ere.'.:.-In" some-cases' there might, be';hardship,,through the dependence- of relatives ~,'or.Jother.'cause-s,^- 1 and ; 'employees might be,iplacfrd-,k real.temptation.- Often ;ifj(tne firm knew their cifcumsfances' they inigh-t be., able.: to ..improve their :positions. .He.'recalM the, case, of a. girl whom he'had ,once .dismissed- 1 , for 'Some /catiEo since --for--gotten;: had left n lads called on him.: you.-have dispensed with Miss—--," 'she"said.; The manager "replied , that .hei had done so.: -'"I'shbTild/think.-it was about'time you':-did," rejojned tho lady, and,-pressed for /»n ; explanation, she continued : 7 "She happened, te board :With- me,, and there ,were> 17 ffunshodeie in iher bedroom."' 'None of the taapaaerj teen bppmnnl to hivb'an actiyo grievance agairist : the -Piret Offendere-Act.

■'•;',-;: ■■':' ' >Thefts;by the Publls.: ' It' was, agreed.'by all- tlie.'.retail representatives that far more. seriouß-thaii the thefts .of employees are those-,performed, by members of the public. : Th'ese have always been, apparently, a constant and substantial quantity". If was stated, not on the firm's Q\vn .'authority,.'.that .•oho. company wrote off £100 n yearto covpr losses by- theft. Thfi offences are.a very difficult, of proof,-for te'nccußO a iadyof Voffendora are almost ■ ilways ladjee (P)—is a peoulinrly delicate fatter, which requires '.that the acense-r shall iave very rfefinito r , kribwledge; of the ■: traliGA denial;;indignation, and : & shook to senaitivo. feelinfi3 -!»re ■.ißevjta.ble..; Guilt eari.hardly be established-without q,search, B ; -Boaroh is not' so'easily made, and' if it

proves rcsultless • the. - ; lady has an . odsy .case for defamation of oharactflr. And yot the 'meanest of shop thefts are of ton sheets homo to, women droesed in the height of fashion,: and flaunting their injured innocence when accused. A' conetont suryeillanco is employed by shdp-assistant-s, and this is apt to be resented. Recently »n indignant lady_. obtained access , to a local :: manaisPr, and insisted that a cor- ] tain assistant, who had followed her about j the stalls, should be instantly discharged. , Tho manager corirteously declined to commit ( himself to such a drastic course. The. lady i vowed that sho would withdraw her cu&tom, i which was" subsiMitisl, from tho-finn.' Tho i manager': replied that no was sorry, but the j control of its assistants mxist rest with tho. . oomjpany. ' The lady was left ■to subdue her .< feelingu orclso carry out her alternative. j ■..:; ; How Suspicion Is FeUewed Up. ] •'■'. In anotlver local establishment, one woman j saw another woman put a pair of doves up ■ her I' sleoVo. glio told , a counter-haiid, by j wiw-m the. manager was'infohned;, WTien tho, nituMcer camo on tho ■ acerie, the . supposed oft'erioerwas hurrying to get. out. 1 Tho informiwit .was not .quite. certain' that this' was the.woman she had.seen conceal:the glovea; i it was a' risky matter to take action.' ■ But J the suspected looked''flustered, and ' was moving guiltily to tho door.' ".Ca)i j you spare a moment?".said the manager; 'I ( want to speak, to you." "No, you "don't ( want to speak.to me;" -"Oh, yes, I'do, < come into my room a moment." -The woman- | pro-tested 1 warmly .that the manager 'cbu]d I not wish\to speak to her. • Sho: Vvould.-not i go to his room; her business was com- j pletcd,;She was going home. ■,Half-a-dozen gathered; the manager .did'not '] the matter further.' " ; .. ' . j It was'abold woman who walked out of- | another, large emporium, wearing a seven- ■• guinea costume,'which she"had put on in the j costume department, and- departed in before i the qtieetion of payment : could arise.''Tho" .] lady who walked off in a' sot of- furs;,jfor 1 which iio money and no name was ' recorded, 'enjoyed .a similar".audacity. At' another estaolishment an .especially beautiful large'dill,'valued at severalguineas,'was 'amdng the- Ghristmas exhibits.;' The-firm , Bcarcely:hoped,a sale, it.was so expensive, ] but tho. ansistants vied with , one another ; in their efforts to.dispose of : the treasure' ( and win unusual credit. When a fashionable lady-was se'en".emerging, from the toy. depart- ; irient with tho rare doll in a perambulator, the employees of tho other depart- ' ments through which she passed congratu- ' la'ted her 'on 'her lovely '.purchase.. ' Tho l»dy. passed.out jnto the street, nnd was beyond. recalj. before, the doll was missed by its custodians.-- The lady ; had • removed it from the shelf while their 'backs were mb* . .mentarily;'turried. The incident, recalls the. • theft of a gold medal perambtilatorr- from' the r'eftent; Christchurcli Exhibition:. .With , a emiling baby; crowing from the cushions,' a. ' ,sjnsrt.'woman-wheeled H off without incur- ' ring a shadow of suspicion.' •'.' ,- ; ,: : .' ' ' '";"'■.-. •'■' '> Mysterious .-.<. ■ I ■■: iln another local ■ house attention ■ was drawn to the conduct of two women, who ; used to come in every afternoon »nd spend an hour or half an hour in a cloak roqm, Tho circumstances, were suspicious, :btit the manager could hardly interfere. At length bo consulted a '.detective, who "instructed 'a girl ;to burst into' tho room; take .hurried stocky and retire with an. apology -for/ her in-' trusion. This plan woe carried oyt, • and the, girl:beheld oho women- putting on o:,pair of stockings, and tho other a new blouse. -The articles I'wereJiof; part of the firm's stockj and so no--fui;ther action could be taken. When theiiximen had gone a'scarch revealed . two tags;thtt had'cpme'off the a.rticles, hear■ing. the nanie. of ''another', local firm!; ", It -isstill a matter for conjecture b'ow the' ,gnr- : ments.were.obtained,.but v the yisita;.of ;,the. womßri'to-thisi.shop. were.not iepeatedi : One day ;b woman was "inspecting some : fanoy;lace. ;■; After she ; had left aquantity; of. an unusually narrow: pattern was missed from the .collection. : Suspicion' pointed to the lady, but there was no proof: A rear later, - a dressmak'dr^iit-ered' saniplo of ihis lacfe.".Oh', "'Mr's. "'■^ : — ;''bouphV ';' some, of.thjs. fjpnj,iou, ; last.se^n ) ' ajid'- 5h,e.,.. .wants it.mad^up.rin,a'drQSs.v'iJ.Tho . J ; hand -went quietly to.the.manager; ,'/! Do i; you,, rein'ember'this lace, -sir."- The. manager'mpaj;';. . 'certainly-rpmemWed it.'.'A'-bill.wns-.sentij.tp i >£rs...r^—"for .12.'yards.of,'liico.atf3s: 'pd; nw 1 •yard. ! She paid tho'bill^ar.d'receive'd^SWjrl sl ' 't'lmiitibn that her custom :w:is'no.lprfgef-'dK- ' • sired.:.. .-.■.,..■••■.::■■';'■,■ ''L^-':'" , ' i: :