The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1886. Forgery

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 53, 14 October 1886, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1886. Forgery

Our readers cannot fail to have noted the remarkable increase in the crime of forgery which has manifested itself within the last few months. Every sittings of the Supreme Court -held lately in the Colony has had one or more cases to try. The offenders, in a large majority of eases, have been men of some degree of education, who have drif ted into crime without any apparent volition on^heir part. They appear to have been toe timid to become burglars or highwaymen, and too proud to select as a criminal means of livlihood any other than so genteel a crimo as forgery. The facilities given by the general business public are so many or so great that the wonder is, not that so many forgeries are committed, but so few. Our reason for holding this opinion is based on knowledge gained by a somewhat large experience. The conveniences of a banking account are so great, especially in the way of keeping a record of payments or expenditure for persons who are too lazy to do it themselves, that every one who has a little money paismg through his hands avails himself of the privilege.' Many accounts, from 5s and upwards, are paid by cheque, and as each of the latter beard a penny duty stamp, a very material addition is made to the revenue thereby. These cheques are seldom or never presented for payment to the bank on which they are drawn until days and months have elapsed. They are virtually taking the place of notes and gold in the money circulation of the Colony. Any of them tendered to a storekeeper in payment for goods purchased, are accepted in a most confiding spirit, and if Mr Storekeeper has to change another and larger cheque he passes on the smaller ones in an equally simple manner. By this means a bogus cheque may be in existence for weeks before the experts in the banks have an opport unity of exposing the fraud. A direct temptation is thus held out to weakminded men skilled in caligraphy. They obtain for a few shillings or ponnds a specimen signature of a man — or firm— whose social position or financial credit is undoubted, and_by a few strokes of the pen create money. Happily detection invariably follows, but the country is put to enormous expense in proving the crime against the guilty person. For all" that, the game gons merrily on at an increasing ratio. /There is a certain law existing which "being more honored in the breach than in the observance" would go far to bring quick - punishment on offenders. It is to the effect that all j cheques, drawn on demand must be presented to the bank on which they are valued, within 24 hours, or a ! " reasonable time " after they have passed from the hands of the maker. For example any cheque issued in town should be presented for payment within twenty-four hours, or the (business) day after their receipt. In cases where they are sent to a distance ".reasonable time" would mean the time occupied en route — there and return — allowing time to place them in a branch bank to be returned for collection. If the banks were to insist on this rule being carried out it would be better for all parties. Under no circumstances — not even to public bodies — should cheques drawn for sums of less than one pound be paid, unless to close an account by withdrawing a balance. The practice of private parties paying claims for less than five pounds by cheques should be 'discouraged as much as .possible. By these precautions legitimate business would not be interfered with in the slightest degree, while the nbte circulation would be increased in proportion. As the number of cheques signed and put in circulation decreased, so wonld the facilities for the crime of forgery be lessened, while the knowledge that a forged cheque would he presented and the fraud discovered within a few hours might prevent, in many instances, the attempt being made at all.