WAITOMO COUNTY AFFAIRS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 1859, 8 September 1923, Page 5

WAITOMO COUNTY AFFAIRS.

MORA FOUND NOT GUILTY. Hamilton, Friday. Peter Mora, former clerk to the Waitomo County Council, appeared before his Honor Mr Justice Stringer and a common jury at Hamilton on Thursday, to answer a charge of having stolon £23 (is 8d on August 7th, 1920. and £29 3s' 4d on June 2, 1921, the moneys of the Waitomo County Council. Mr H. T. Gillies prosecuted on behalf of the Crown, prisoner being represented by Mr A. H. Johnstone, instructed by Mr Vernon. George Brown, the present clerk and treasurer to the Waitomo County Council, said that when he took over the office from Mora, he found- the latter had been overpaid to the amount of one month's salary. Mora admit 2'l this. Witness retained one month's. salary owing, to balance the overpayment, but;witness-later found a new entry in the cash book by Mora, crediting hittfself-'wrth £29 v 3s 4d, which still left him overpaid. He communicated with Mora, who. admitted making the extra, entry, and said ho would square the matter up. In. answer to. Mr Johnstone, witness said that Mora was not suspended—he resigned from the clerkship. Early in 1921. an "expert was appointed to go into the whole clerical system of the county. He was not aware that at' this time the county had difficulty to keep going. Three months elapsed after witness took over before he was able to ascertain whether the books were correct or not. Morn agreed to repay the sums which he was charged with stealing.. The interliniation of the entry in the'eash book was an admission by Mora that he had <■ had the amount. Had he not made the entry, the deficiency would have been . discovered when balancing up. Hugh Wylie, Government Audit Inspector, said lie made the county audit in March, 1921, when he discovered an overpayment credited to Mora in August, 1920, of £33 6s Bd. He mentioned the matter to Mora, who said he would forego his next month's salary. The adjustment was not, however, paid by the date of the next audit. Witness made an entry in violet ink of the overpayment to guide him at the next- audit, but when he again examined the books this entry had been erased. On this occasion witness found there had been a further overpayment to Mora, in June, 1921, the books were in a very muddled state and the finances wore becoming chaotic. Cheques were not paid out when due. His Honor: Nob because of dishonesty in the office, but in fear they would not be honoured. Witness: Because of the certainty that thev would not be.

Detective-Sergeant Sweeney read a statement which prisoner made to him, in which' he said he made the additional entry when he was posting the hooks, prior to leaving. Prisoner, Peter Bernard Mora, said lie was clerk to the county from 1911 to 1921, during' which time the rates increased from. £ll.OO to £26,000. In 1020 it was decided to institute a, new system of book-keeping, and shortly after this the boundaries were altered very materially, while his clerk, whom ho had had for six years, left to take another position."- Owing to the commission, Avhich sat to adjust the boundaries, he. was ,given a tremendous amount of additional work; not only in looking up records and attending the sittings, but also by attending meetings in different parts of the county. His work got sadly behind, and for five mouths his : books remained unposted. In addition to the ordinary accounts of the, council, he had an imprest account of £SO to enable him to make sundry, payments which had to be met. The finances became a. muddle, and certain over-payments were made, and n - efuiids had to be secured. When Mr Wylie. informed him he had overdrawn his. salaryj he immediately said he would repay any such amount, and immediately made out a- personal cheque with this, object, which went into the imprest "account. With regard to the erasure of the auditor's note, prisoner admitted that he- rubbed but the note, because, having adjusted the accounts, he did not want the expert, who was appointed to go into the system of accounts, to see the note. He had not received his travelling expenses from the county with respect to the commissions. He >was not aware that he owed the county' any money. He would not deny.that he had forwarded the .county over. *£l2o from ;,Taihape since he left the comity. The personal cheque he made out went into the imprest account, which was short at the time. The council, he considered, was still in his debt. Mr Gillies commenced to cross-ex-amine prisoner with regard to his association with the Hutt Road Board, in 1.908, when his Honor refused to allow cross-examination regarding events so distant.

' Arthur Stanley Warren, county contractor, said he had received several payments from Mora in between the ordinary monthly cheque payments. On one occasion I 'he received £3O from Mora in this way, by way of advance for work done.

Mr Justice Stringer summed up in favour of the.accused. A verdict of not guilty was returned, and accused was discharged. The remaiiningv ifiv# f charges will be heard on. Monday; at 10 a.m.—Auckland Star.