MISMANAGED UNION

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 133, 3 December 1930, Page 9

MISMANAGED UNION

,;.& CASE FOR "NOBILL"

(By Telegraph.-Presr Association.) NELSON, 2nd December. In his address to the Grand Jury at the Supreme Court to-day, his Honour llr Justice Reed, referring to a charge 'o£ alleged theft against Thomas Edward Bird, said tHat the accused was secretary of the Golden Bay Cement Co. Industrial Union of Workers at a salary of .7.. M • a week, and was charged with the thelt of Various sums of money. -The general count was bad, as it was laid down in the English Act that it was necessary to show that some special sum of money was alleged to have been received from some specific individual or company, on some specific date requiring it to be paid to some specific person or company. This had not been shown. The indictment was bad, and it would be the duty of the jury to return no bill. It was no fault of the person drawing up the indictment that it was bad, as on the depositions his Honour could not see how the charge could have been laid in any other way. His Honour added that the management of the union seemed to have been shockingly slack. No records of any sort were kept. It was not shown that if there was any deficiency it was due to the ac- v cused. The union could -not expect its books to be kept in a.proper manner for 7s 6d a week. He would suggest that no bill be returned. . ~,.•, No bill was returned, and Bird was discharged.