THEFT OF £1245

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25053, 17 November 1944, Page 6

THEFT OF £1245

CLERK IN POST OFFICE

PENNIES FROM TELEPHONES A charge of stealing £1245, the property of the Postmaster-General, between October, 1942, and October, 1944, was preferred against a clerk,- James Percival Rowe, aged 53 (Mr Aekins), before Messrs A. L. Gee and R. G. May, J.P.'s, yesterday. The prosecution was conducted by Detective-Sergeant Aplin. In a statement produced in Court, accused said he had been employed by the Post and Telegraph Department since 1907. For the past seven years he had been a clerk in the money order and savings bank department. His annual salary was £320, plus a cost of living bonus of £26. The Oopper Shortage Each day, the slot telephones, in the city and suburbs were cleared, and the money containers taken to the copper room at the Chief Post Office, accused's statement continued. For about seven years it had been part of his daily duties to receive these break the seals on them, count the pennies and account for them. He banked this copper twice weekly. About the beginning of 1942, when there was a shortage of copper in Auckland, accused was approached by another employee who told him that one of the hotels had been unable to obtain sufficient pennies •and the management Avished to buy some. From this time onward accused let the other man have about £lO a week in copper, which was always paid for. This money was accounted for. Some months later, a departmental instruction forbade the exchange of copper with outside firms, and about October, 1942, accused began stealing pennies amounting to about £3 a week. These would be put aside while he was emptying the containers, and were not accounted for. Later, ho banked the stolen money. Worried Over Matter As time went on the amounts taken increased, and accused began supplying pennies to the hotel and various shops and traders, said the statement. > Ihe money he received in return he either banked in his own account or used for paying household expenses. Some of it was used to help pay for a motor-car he purchased some months ago. "The matter has so worried me of late that I decided that the best thing to do was to own up to what I had been doing," accused's statement concluded. "I want to make full restitution if I am able to do so." He had assets valued at approximately £1360. At the conclusion of the evidence, accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. Bail was fixed at £2OO. with one surety of £200.' THE STOCK EXCHANGE RESIGNATION OF CHAIRMAN LONG PERIOD OF SERVICE The resignation of Mr John Frater, chairman of the Auckland Stock Exchange, was received by the Exchango yesterday. In a letter to members, Mr Frater, who has been absent in recent months on account of illhealth, expressed His gratitude to members for their loyal support during his term of office and especially to Mr W. B. Colbeck, the vice-chairman, who had carried out the duties of chairman during the greater part of this year. Mr Frater, who is a principal of the sharebroking firm of Frater Brothers, has had a lengthy period of service on the Auckland Exchange, on which he was elected vice-chairman in 1920. He held that position until 1935, when he was elected chairman, and after two years in that office he stood down, but he was re-elected in 1940, serving uninterruptedly until his present illness. Mr Frater was also vice-chairman of the Stock Exchange of New Zealand in recent years. t The Auckland Exchange will hold its annual meeting on December 12, when officers for 1945 will be appointed.

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE DOMINION ACTIVITIES Many topics of national interest are dealt with in the annual report of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand, to bo presented at the annual conference in Palrnerston North from November 22 to 24. Much of the report refers to taxation, including efforts made to have anomalies removed and to have a Royal Commission set up to investigate the "pay-as-you-earn" system of income tax. On the general question of import control, the import committee reaffirmed the desirability of the abolition of the licence system at the earliest possible Aoment. Referring to the restrictive nature of the Industrial Efficiency Act and its effect in excluding returning servicemen from entering into industries granted monopolies under the legislation, the report says there has been no indication from the Government that it intends to take any action in the matter. Reference is made to an undertaking by the Minister of Railways, Mr Semple, to institute an inquiry into competition between the railways and coastal shipping. "It is hoped that the outcome of this inquiry will be the settlement of what has been a vexed question for years," states the report. In _ response to representations, the associated banks had undertaken to examine the question of a reversion to pre-war banking hours at the earliest practicable time. Endeavours had 'been made to ensure that war supplies and equipment were disposed of through normal trade channels. A request had been made to the War Assets Realisation Board_ for a declaration of its policy and its reply was awaited. Referring to rehabilitation, the executive affirmed the need to press for the immediate lifting, after the war, of the maximum number of controls, and for the freedom of private enterprise. Chambers had been encouraged to follow the Auckland lead by setting up private enterprise agencies to deal with the needs of returned men. MEETING AT ROTORUA ELECTION OF OFFICERS (0.C.) ROTORUA, Thursday A special general meeting of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce decided last night that the proceedings at the recent annual meeting were null and void because there had not been a quorum present. It was agreed to proceed with the annual meeting and the following officers wore elected:—President, Mr W. C. E. George; vice-presi-dents, Messrs. F. Pntchard and H. U. Barker; secretary, Mr H. A. Spurdle; Treasurer, Mr W. R. Harris; committee, Messrs. J, Sherriff, H. L. Musgrave, I. C. Bryce, E._ Cottrell, L. Davidson and H. H. Perkins. DISCHARGED PRISONERS A resolution confirming the new constitution and rules of the Auckland Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society, and the incorporation of the society'under the Religious, Charitable and Educational Trusts Act, was passed at the annual meeting of the society yesterThere was a largo attendance, Mr C. F. Bennett presiding; in the absence of tho president, the Mayor, Mr J. A; C. Allum. A further resolution that the society place on record its appreciation of the services rendered over a Ions; period of years by Archbishop Averill as patron and chairman of the executive committee was also passed. The meeting concluded with an address by the Rev. Melville Harcourt. ■Officers elected included:—President, the Mayor of Auckland, Mr J. A. C. Allum; vice-presidents, Mr Justire Callan and Messrs A. J Stratford, W. R. Wilson, F. N. Ambler, C. F. Bennett, P. Hayu-ard, J. W. Manning. T. Sparling, W. T. Leggctt, superintendent of the Mount Eden prison, and Captain S. R. Banyard; secretary .and. treasurer,, tho sA*^G.E..Moretoo,.