THE VOUCHER INCIDENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13385, 11 September 1905, Page 5

THE VOUCHER INCIDENT.

TOUR CIVIL SERVANTS' SUSPENDED. (Per United Press Association.) ' 1 CHRISTCHURCH,' September 5 9. This morning Messrs Willis, Larcorpbc, West, and Lundon, tho four Cliristchurch Post Office officials who -have figured prominently in tho vouchor cnse.wcro formally suspended by tho chief postmaster '.until further notice. At tho same timo tho following letter was handed to Mr Willis: — "To Joseph Willis, post officer, Cliristchurch,— , . . "Pursuant to■ tho provisions of soction 26 of 'Tho Civil Sorvico Act, 1E66,' yoli arc hereby charged with broach of duty, ■ in that, oontrarv to tho regulations in that behalf ancf your post officer's de-' claration, you, on or about the month, of July, 1905, at Christchureh, at tho.request of Mr F. JL D. Fisher, M.H.R., searched the records of Treasury vouchers in ,tho Cliristchurch Post Office, and from that record gave him the number and amount of a certain vouoher—to wit, vouohor No. 15819, for £76 4s 9d; and also that, in or about tho month of July, 1905, at ; Christchureh, you informed tho said F. M. B. Fisher that a voucher for an amount exceeding £70 had passed through thq Post Offico at Cliristchurch payable to R. J. S. Scddon for reorganising tho defenco stores j and also that, on or about tho 4th day, of August, 1905, at Christphurch, you niado and delivered to tho said F. M. B. ' Fisher im affidavit that somo timo during the year 1904 you, as clerk employed in the Cliristchurch Post Office, saw a vouchor for aii amount exceeding £70 made out in favour of R. J. S. Seddon, for the reorganisation of dofenco stores at Wellington; and also that, on or about tho samo date, you made a duplicate of tho original of tho said affidavit, and gave it to Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R. "You arc also charged with a further breach of duty in sending, conjointly with Messrs William John Larcombc, Thomas.Walter West, and David Hobson Lundon, in or about tho month of August, 1905, tho following telegram to Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R.Wo are confident unrestricted public inquiry will establish tlio charge. Hopo yon will press your motion ' .

"You aro required to stnto in writing whether you deny the truth of tho foregoing charges, and to deliver to the chief postmaster at Christchurch any written defence you desiro to make on or beforo tho 13th September instant. "Dated at Wellington this eighth day of September, 1905.

"W. Gray, Secretary Post and Telegraph Department."

A letter was also handed to Mr West similar to tho above, but beginning at the words, "That, in or about the month of July, 1905, at Christchurch, jou informed tho said F. M. B. Fisher that a vouchor," etc. t " Sir Larcombo also recoived a letter similar to that sent to Willis, but containing an additional obargo—" That, at somo dato prior to July, ho did inform another person that a voucher passed through tho post office hero." Finally, Mr Lundon recoived a letter in which he was chargcd solely with sending the telegram referred to in the letter to Mr Willis, given in extenso aljove.