TOWN CLERK'S THEFTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21142, 28 March 1932, Page 11

TOWN CLERK'S THEFTS.

UPPER HUTT FINANCES. THE SIGNING OF CHEQUES. "A VERY LOOSE SYSTEM." "I have nothing to say but an admission of the charge," replied James William Harbord in the Police Court at Petone, to a charge of stealing, between August 24 and March 9 money totalling £lll4 3s Id, the property of the Upper Hutt Borough Council, by whom he was employed as town clerk. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Messrs. A. Anderson and A. Coles, J.P.'s, were on the Bench. Desmond Hugh Gillies, an Audit Department inspector, said the money had been taken by the cashing of borough cheques by Harbord, by his making out cheques for amounts in excess of what was required for wages, and by the payment of wages to ai man who was shown as an employee of the council but was actually employed by Harbord. There was also a shortage in the petty cash. The accused admitted having stolen the money and gave every assistance in clearing the matter up. Detective W. McLennan read a statement made by the accused admitting the thefts. "Do you agree that the signing of bearer cheques, not marked 'not negotiable' by the Mayor and councillors of Upper Hutt facilitated the defalcations?" asked counsel for the accused. "I agree that it was a big weakness," replied the detective. "The councillors in Upper Hutt deem it an honour to sign cheques," remarked counsel. Cross-examined further, Detective McLennan said that according to the accused about £6OO of the money had gone into a butchery business at Upper Hutt. 110 understood that was recoverable. The rest of the money the accused had spent on private debts, all he had left being 12s 6d. The accused had gone out of his way to assist in straightening affairs since his arrest. Evidence of the accused's previous good character was given by Bertram Sinclair Knox, town clerk of Lower Hutt, where the accused was employed on the office staff for some years, and left to become town clerk at Upper Hutt. "In your experience as a municipal officer, have you ever known of the signing of bearer cheques?" asked Mr. Anderson of the witness. "It is just a matter of system," was the reply. "Some boroughs sign bearer cheques. That was the custom in Lower Hutt when I came, but at the first opportunity I altered it." "It is a very loose system," remarked Mr. Anderson. "It is placing a deliberate temptation in the way 'of a man."