SECRETARIES' THEFTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21116, 25 February 1932, Page 12

SECRETARIES' THEFTS.

OVER £IOOO IN THREE CASES. TERMS OF DETENTION ORDERED. [BY TELEGRAPH.—-OWN CORRESPONDENT.] (iREYMOUTH. Wednesday. At the Supreme Courf, to-day, Albert Amos Rouse, ex-secretary of the Grey Hospital Board, who ha 1 pleaded guilty to the. theft of £651 5s 7d. the property of tho board, appeared for sentence. Evidence given in the lower Court by J. W. Hannan, chairman of the board, was that. Rouse was employed at £4OO a year. His duties were to receive cash and give an official receipt, and he had no authority to use. the money for his own purposes. The Government auditor commenced his audit on January 4 and discovered the deficiency. He found the original receipts had been altered to disagree witii the details shown in duplicate receipts. Accused's position was an onerous one. There was a considerable volume of business, necessitating him working long hours on many occasions. Detective Holmes stated that accused, in a statement, said in June, 1930, ho began taking money for betting, hoping to pay it back. Mr. Justice Adams said Rouse had been addicted for a number of years to bett'ng and similar practices. Ho had been trusted by the board and had si (ilen money for some years consistently. His Honor said he could not close his eyes to the fact that these offences were becoming very serious. There were no extenuating circumstances in tlio case and lie directed that the prisoner bo detained' for reformative treatment, for a period not, exceeding three years. Robert Philp, aged 23. ex-secretary of the Mohikinui Medical Association, Scddouvillo, pleaded guilty to the theft, of £225 5s 3d, the property of the association. His Honor said Rhilp had no reasonable excuse for living beyond his means. Ho sentenced him to reformative detention for a period not exceeding two years. Frederick Edward Thoebold. of Ngakawau, ex-secretary of the Stockton Colliery Medical and Accident Relief Association, pleaded guilty to the (heft of £165 9s lOd, the property of the association. It. was stated that' ho Tiad held the position of secretary for six years. In inflicting a sentence of reformative detention not exceeding 13 months, His Honor said tlio reason in each of the three cases for directing detention for reformative treatment was that in such cases the Prisons Board had wide discretion.