THEFT OF £733

Grey River Argus, 29 January 1946, Page 2

THEFT OF £733

Patriotic Funds CLERK ADMITS GUILT HAMILTON, January 25. Four charges of stealing 1’733 in patriotic funds and money of Hie Huffily School of Mines was admitted before Messrs. R. C. Avery and 14. 11. Pipe, J.’sP..at Huntiy by Cecil HayChapman, aged 47, clerk. The,detailed charges included the theft of £9l and I’3oo, the property of I lie Huntiy Social Purposes Fund, £2BB, the property of the Waikato Provincial Patriotic Council, and 151, I lie property, of the Huntiy School of Minos. The offences occurred between January 2, 1943, and December (>, 1945. The accused was represented by Mr. T. C. Henry and Detective-Ser-geant W. H. Slater, of Auckland, prosecuted. Evidence was given by George Edward Alley, Government Audit inspector, Hamilton, that, an inspection of accused’s patriotic accounts showed that donations made by the Ohinewai, Orini, Te Kauwhata and Rotongaro committees, the South Auckland Rugby Football League, the Huntiy Businessmen’s Association and the Huntiy Women’s Patriotic Committee had not been accounted for, while £3OO had been withdrawn from the Huntiy Social Purposes Fund post office savings account without authority. RESTITUTION OF £664 Witness said that accused refunded £569 to the patriotic funds on December 15 and £95 on December 16, a total of £664. The total amount of patriotic money received and not accounted for was £679, and in addition there was the £54 of the School of Mines. Accused had adopted a system of covering up the deficiencies by holding moneys over and utilising cash from other accounts to square his banking. He had handled substantial sums and had a considerable amount of work to do during the war period without extra remuneration. His salary was not a big one for the work he did.

Harry Meyer, draper, of Huntiy, said that as secretary of the Huntiy Businessmen’s Association he paid accused £95 as a donation to the patriotic fund. Alice Chisholm; a member of the women’s division of the patriotic committee, and Lilias Jean Cunningham, post office teller, also gave evidence. George Smith, Mayor of Huntiy, said accused had been town clerk of Huntiy for 17 years. He had also been a district, coroner and a justice of the peace. As town clerk he received a salary of £538 and as secretary of the Huntiy School of Mines he received £2O per annum. Accused had been honorary secretary of the Huntiy Patriotic Committee and was an authorised collector to the Waikato Patriotic Council. It was his duty to bank all patriotic moneys within three days of receipt. He had no authority to withdraw any patriotic money.

Accused was dismissed from his position as town clerk on December 7 last, said witness. Deficiencies in the accounts of the patriotic funds and the Huntly School cf Mines were made good on December 15. Accused was regarded as an efficient clerk and a good worker and he was most trusted by the Borough Council and witness. Accused had done a great deal of work for patriotic purposes. Detective-Sergeant Slater read a statement in which accused said that during the last 12 months he had not enjoyed good health, clue to overwork. Me had entertained people on behalf of the Borough Council and he found himself short of money. He considered that his salary was insufficient to allow him to carry on. From May, 1944, to December, 1945, he had used certain money to enable him to carryon. Accused said he had no intention of defrauding anyone, as he looked on the money he had used as a loan and intended to pay' it back. As a result of overwork he got into such a muddle that he did not know where he stood. Ho admitted the defalcations.

Accused pleaded guilty to all charges and was committed to the Supreme Court at Auckland for sentence. Bail was allowed.