FALSE STATEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 32, 6 August 1929, Page 10

FALSE STATEMENT

PENSIONER CONVICTED

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

* . DUNEDIN, sth August. James Whitlaw Ramsay appeared on remand in the Magistrate's Court today before Mr. H. W. Bundlo, S.M., on ■ a charge of making a false- statement under tho Pensions Act,-in that he did not discloso all the moneys that were coming to him. Chiof-Detective Cameron said that tho officer in charge of tho local Pensions branch had been advised by the head office to withhold £1 a week which had hitherto been paid to Mrs. Earnsay. Thero was no mention of restitution. Tho defendant would now receive £3 per week as pension. Mr. Calvert, for the defendant, suggested that the Department, knowing Kamsay was a railway servant, mightihavo made more searching inquiries. 'As it was, Ramsay contended that the money lying with the Railway Department was his own, and thought ho was not bound to disclose it. The ' Pensions Department apparently thought he was only a casual railway servant, and the question of superannuation did not come in.to it. The defendant's status was 75 per cent, disabled, so that it was almost impossible for him to work./He was a South African war veteran, and had also servod during the last war. The , Department's desiro to have circulated that all sources of income must bo disclosed had been well served by this case. Tho Magistrate said that it was duo to pensioners to discloso fully in their applications tho receipt and source of all moneys which were received. It was not dono in this case, with tho result that the large sum of £650 was overpaid. Taking into consideration tho physical mfirmitios of defendant, it was impossible for the Court to make any satisfactory docisibn in all respects. Tho defendant would be convicted and ordered to como up, for sentenco if called upon within fivo years, 20s a week to be doducted off either his or his wife's pension; leave to bo reserved to Pensions Department to make application for further reduction at any time within fivo years.