INGENIOUS FRAUD

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 172, 16 April 1932, Page 13

INGENIOUS FRAUD

Tampered With Power Lines MAN CUTS OUT METER By Telegraph—Press Association. Te Arolia. April 15. Edward 8. Thomas, of Paeroa. was fined £2O on each of two charges of tampering with the Thames Valley Electric Power Board's lines and fraudulently extracting power. The defendant, by an Ingenious contrivance, caused a circuit cutting out a meter. To avoid detection a special switch, operated by the pulling of a cord ou the defendant’s desk, caused the current to pass through the meter should the Power Board officials arrive to inspect it. Counsel for the hoard stated that it was estimated the board was losing j £3OOO n, year by thefts. The defendant Is the manager of the 1 Walhi-PaeroA Transport Ca.

ARBITRATION BILL Dispute Over Amendments MANAGERS CONFER Agreement Reached Agreement was reached .yesterday between the managers of the Legislative Council and the House of Representatives appointed to settle differences of opinion which had arisen between the two Houses on the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill. Tho main point of contention was tho clause inserted by the Council permitting women’s wages to be fixed by the Arbitration Court. It was stated that the clause did not properly define theGovernment’s intention. The Council had also altered the clause relating to piecework by making provision for the bonus payment system, which was not desired by a section of the House. The Hon. Sir James Parr, Leader of the Council, in reporting the result of the conference, said there was no difference in substance. The Council’s amendment in respect of female workers had sought to make the clause clearer than before, so that all women engaged in industry, whether in a union of their own or conjointly employed with men in the same union, were covered by the new provision, which enabled female workers to go to tho Arbitration Court. The House had agreed to the Council’s view, subject to it being made clear that the request to the court for a minimum wage for women should be made through their own union. With regard to the piecework provision, the Council sought to make the intention to extend piecework clearer than it was expressed in the clause as it came ftom the House. There was a Jong discussion between the managers as to whether provision should be made for bonus payments as well as for piecework. The Council apparently yielded in this, as the clause as agreed upon shows that the provision for bonus payments was struck-out. The managers’ report: will be considered by the House next week. UNEMPLOYMENT BILL Approval of Upper House THIRD READING PASSED The Unemployment Amendment Bill was passed by the Legislative Council yesterday. In replying to a discussion on the third reading, the Hon. Sir James Parr, Leader of the Council, said that so far as he knew there was nothing in the present Act to prevent, the granting of relief to men with modest savings. 'l’he local committees were allowed full discretion. As a matter of fact, it was within knowledge that frequently men with £5O or £lOO had been given work. The whole question was one of administration. The Government had to do its best with the money available to meet the most needy cases.