LODGE VICTIMISED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22286, 12 June 1934, Page 5

LODGE VICTIMISED

SECRETARY’S DEFALCATIONS ACCUSED COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE. Three, charges of theft over a period of about eight years ■were preferred against Cyril Blockley Robertson in the City Police Court yesterday. The accused was represented by Mr J. PWard. , : The charges brought against the accused were as follows: —That on July 22, 1929, and on divers dates .between then and December 31, 1932, he received the sum of £56 7s 7d on terms requiring him to account, for the money to the Court Pride of Alexandra . Foresters Lodge, and in failing to do so committed theft ; that on April 24, 1925, at Alexandra, and on dates between then and September . 25, 1933, he did steal further sums totalling £6-1 3s 6d, the property of Court Pride of Alexandra ; that on September 30, 1925, he did receive from George Campbell the sum of £1 Os 6d, and on September 25, 1933, ho did receive from other persons the sum of £BB Is 7d, the, property of Court Pride of Alexandra..

John K. Macfie, district secretary of the Ancient Order of Foresters’ Lodge, said that the accused was formerly secretary of the Court Pride of Alexandra Lodge, which tfas a,branch of the, Otago district lodge, A.O.F. The accused, was appointed secretary in 1924, when the total funds of the branch amounted to £lOl4 6s Id, of which £421 was invested in freehold security in Alexandra, The accused retained the secretaryship until September, 1933, when he absconded, and witness, at the request of the court, commenced an investigation of the books and found irregularities and misappropriations. It was the accused’s duty to furnish half-yearly balances to the district office, and in addition a yearly balance sheet, due in January of. each year, the balance sheets being forwarded to witness, who kept them for six or seven years. The accused’s first yearly balance sheet was received in 1927, when it was disclosed that the court had £491 invested in freehold securities at 6J per cent., £4OO in 5 per cent. Government debentures, and £ll6 13s lOd in the current account at Alexandra. The receipts were shown at £3l 9s 3d, but the receipt book showed a total of £3B, of which, £l6 had been received from ’ a man named Faisandier as interest on a mortgage. This particular, mortgage, however, had been discharged in 1924, so that the entry showing the payment of interest was false. The balance sheet for 1928 showed that £5Ol had been invested in mortgages and £3OO in Government debentures, an increase of £IOO in the mortgage investments and a decrease of £IOO in the debentures as compared with the previous year. The sum of £35 7s 4d was also shown as interest received, but the receipt book showed the sum of £34 7s 4d, of which £3 0s 6d had allegedly been paid by Faisandier. The amount invested in Government debentures was paid by the Treasury to the accused .> on July 4, 1929, but the balance sheet for that year showed that that amount was still invested. The balance sheet for 1930 showed that the court had £O9l invested in freehold securities and £3OO in Government debentures, and also showed the money received as interest ou these investments. The balance sheets for 1931 and 1932 also showed that £591 was invested in freehold securities and £3OO in Government debentures. The last balance sheet submitted by the

accused was for the half-year;ended June, 30, 1933, and contained entries identical with those in the balance ehects for 1931 and 1932. Witness was only in possession of the books and balance sheets of the lodge from 1927, and so could not estimate the .position before that year. His investigations showed that between April 24, 1025, and September 25, 1933, the accused stole £643 Cs.. the property of the lodge, which had heel, invested in freehold securities and Government debentures, :-In addition the accused received the sum of £BB Is 7d from various members and failed to account for the amounts. From the absence of . the books it was impossible for him to state what the total defalcations were, but he found that £731 7s 7d was missing. The balance . sheets bore a certificate from two auditors and a trustee of the lodge.—To Mr Ward witness said, that in Friendly Societies the secretary- was supposed to pay. over to the treasurer within 24 hours any money which he might receive, but it would be difficult for the latter to detect any veinissness. If the auditors had carried out.their work properly the defalcations would have been discovered in the. first year. The loss would unfortunately have to bo borne by the members' of Court Pride of Alexandra, as the money .came from the lodge's surplus, and had nothing to do with the district office.—To Chief Detective Young witness said that. the surplus belonged to the . older members of the court, who would how bo deprived of the benefits which they would otherwise have; had on reaching , a certain age. He had been informed-by the auditors that they had been given to understand that the securities nrere in witness’s own office; The benefits which the -old members would receive would; bn a reduction of their present, contributions. ‘ ' /, Detective Sergeant Doyle said that on May 19 last ‘he and Constable Mannix, of Pembroke, arrested the accused at Makarora, where he had been living in the Blue district, with a dbmpahion. on deer meat and flour. Witness explained the position to the accused, who said he would be perfectly straight with witness and'would assist him to clear up the matter. He realised that he had been very foolish in not giving himself up in the first place. Since the accused had been arrested he had given witness every assistance in estimating the total amount of his defalcations. He made a statemeut admitting the defalcations mentioned in the information. He hud assumed the name of David Allen in the Makarora district.

The accused pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.'