CIRCULARS THROWN AWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19730, 1 September 1927, Page 12

CIRCULARS THROWN AWAY.

POSTAL OFFICER'S OFFENCE. " LAPSE DUE TO LAZINESS." [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] , DUNEDIN. Wednesday. Charged that as a postal officer he secreted in the course of his business printed papers which were sent by post without fcovers, Leslie Walter Benfell appeared before Mr. Justice Sim in the Supreme Court tins morning for sentence. Mr. C. B. Barrowclougn, who appeared for accused, said he realised that it was most important that servants of the Post and Telegraph Department should deliver anything entrusted to them lor that purpose. In the case of Benteii there were about 450 circulars to be delivered. About 350 were delivered, but two bundles containing 50 circulars each were thrown under bushes. Accused bad been with the department for some years and the only complaint against him was that he showed a lack of keenness and was lazy. His Honor: That seems to be his failing. l'he Crown Prosecutor, Mr. F. B. Adams, said the seriousness of the offence from the point of view of the Post Office was that there was a big temptation to the postman to get rid of this class of matter. His Honor said the offence was a serious one, but he thought he would be justified in acting on the recommendation of the probation officer and grantnig probation. No doubt the lapse of duty in the present case was not due to dishonesty, but to laziness. In some circumstances, however, it would b.e a very objectionable form of dishonesty. Ho hoped the probation officer would be able to cure Benfell of his laziness. Benfell was released on probation for a term of three years.