SECRETARY'S LAPSE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23302, 22 March 1939, Page 16

SECRETARY'S LAPSE

FAILURE TO ACCOUNT SWIMMING bLUB 1 FUNDS ' j •• SUM OF £99 INVOLVED [by telegraph—own CORRESrOXDENT"| WANGANUI, Tuesday A pirn' of guilty was entered,by Walter William Gordon, aged 27, carpenter,, in the Police Court to-day, when lie was charged with failure to account for £99 9s 9d, which should have been paid to the Fordell Amateur Swimming Club. The case was heard by Messrs. E. F. Liffiton and P. Lewis, J.P.'s. Gordon was convicted and will be sentenced at tho next sitting of the Supreme Court Gordon, who was secretary of the club, received books of tickets in October, 1938, for two competitions organised for the Wanganui Swimming Centre from Charles Arnold Palmer, journalist, of Wanganui. Gordon was told by Palmer to retain los in the pound from tho*first competition and 10s in the pound from the second competition, winch amounts were to go to the Fordell Swimming Club. Both competitions closed on December 8 and the results were published on December 15. Toward the end of January, 1939, said Palmer, he told accused that the share of the profits to the Fordell Club would be about £99. In answer to Mr. Armstrong, who appeared for Gordon, witness said that sales through the accused were largely responsible for the success oi the competition, at least 95 per cent of the money being raised by him.

William Martin Green, farmer, of Fordell, who is president of tho club, said .accused became secretary in January, 1938. When the competition was about to be launched, accused told witness that the moneys would he paid to Palmer and held in trust by the Wanganui Swimming Centre. Accused's reply to questions as to where, the money was," was that it was still held in trust by the swimming centre. A warrant for accused's arrest was issued on March 1, as he had failed to find the money by that time.

Evidence was given- by Detective J. J. .Murray that the deficiency was £99 9s 9d. He said lie saw the butts of hooks for an amount of £l5O 4s 6d. Gordon admitted that only £3O 14s 9d had been paid to the club.