COSTLY TELEPHONE CALLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18355, 22 March 1923, Page 7

COSTLY TELEPHONE CALLS.

FIFTY SHILLINGS EACH.

[Bir TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] ' ' CHBISTCHURCH.- Wednesday, f * " This is a very serious offence," ' said the chairman of the Bench at the Magistrate's Court today in imposing fines of £2 10s each on Robert John Leslie Cole and John Bennett, -who were charged with trying to defraud \ the Post and Tele- - • graph Department by making' fraudul- ~ ent use of the slot telephone. - «;(.;':; Mr. J. D. Godfrey," addressingyi the Bench, said the defendants had: no inten- c: tion of setting extra calls for nothing. It was admitted that the defendants had - got only five calls r far, 6d at one slot - machine. The,only evidence against- the men was practically that giveli by themselves^—that at the- Madras . Street box they got four calls for 2d, but before that v they had paid 4d for one call. v. ,-r,;/, .'■'"' . The Bench said a conviction would be entered. We look upon this as a, very - serious offence," the chairman said. * " There are evidently loopholes .in connection with "these A slot telephones' which '1 allow the public a chance to defraud the department, and the onus is on everyone ; ,; to pay the amount of money due. It is certain that these two men did not do SO." ;'• ■ ; ',• ': ~'.-■"'<}'.■'■'■'.■