FALSE DECLARATIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22356, 29 February 1936, Page 18

FALSE DECLARATIONS

"ROBBING THE POOR-BOX" UNEMPLOYMENT ACT BREACHES "The difficulty about those cases is that a man who makes a false statement is in effect robbing ,the poorbox," said tho magistrate, Mr. Wyvern Wilson, at the Police .Court yesterday, when fining Alexander C. Clark £5 for making a false statement under the Unemployment Act. "He is robbing it of money taken from those who are working to help those who are not employed," the magistrate added. inspector Fielder, of the Labour Department, said that Clark had made a statement to the effect that the earnings of members of his family were nil, -whereas they were £l7 for the period Clark was a motor-driver who had been receiving assistance by relief and later sustenance. He had said that his wife was not working, but it was discovered that she was earning £2 a week under her maiden name. As a result Clark had received £26 more than he was entitled to. Mr. Schramm, whp appeared for defendant, said that both Clark and his wife were now unemployed and Clark was in a bad state financially. It was unfortunate that he had made a false statement. The magistrate said that the legislation was very lenient when it provided for a fine in the first instance. There was a maximum penalty of £2O, but on this occasion he would inflict a fine of £5. Roy Meikle appeared on a similar charge and 'also was represented by Mr. Schramm. He pleaded guilty. Mr. Fielder said that since August, 1932, defendant had been on relief and had declared that the earnings of his family were nil. Actually, however, his wife had been employed under her maiden name and had earned £2 5s a week. The offence extended over 12 months and defendant had obtained a benefit of £52. The magistrate remarked that all he had said to Clark applied in this case also, only Meikle had defrauded the country of a larger sum. The defendant would be fined £lO.