"LOOKING FOR TROUBLE"
PAYMENT BY COMMISSION COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE (Bpeoial to Daily Times) AUCKLAND, Juno 15. "The firm that employs an agent on terms like this on commission only, with no salary, is looking for trouble. Possibly an end will be put to this sort of thing by our present Government," said Mr W. R. M'Kean, S.M., in the Police Court, when Leonard Arthur Powell, aged 20, a salesman, admitted 32 charges of obtaining email sums totalling £G 13s 3d by falsely representing that he was employed by the Wellington Slot Machine Company. The accused had been employed by the company from October until the beginning of last December, when, owing to the unsatisfactory way in which he was conducting his business,. he was asked to return the machines in his possession and to account for the money received, said Senior Detective Hall. He had spent all the money at the races, and then went on falsely representing that he was employed by the firm in the hope of getting money which he intended to invest at the races. Ho had travelled over the country, and, although 32 people had complained, numerous others had been defrauded.
Mr Bryce Hurt, who appeared for the accused, stated that his client had been in business on his own account when only 16 years of age and was employi lg about 20 salesmen at that time. His success had apparently contributed to his downfall, as he had managed to get among the racing fraternity. He was employed by the Wellington Slot Machine Company on commission, and, as he had to pay his own expenses, he would have had to be a super-salesman to be successful. His only previous conviction was in connection with an unpaid hotel bill for 14s. The present matter would probably be a lesson to him. The accused was admitted to probation for three years, and ordered to make restitution.
"You have had a very narrow escape from imprisonment, and if you come before the court again you will not have any consideration," warned the magistrate.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 22908, 16 June 1936, Page 15
Word Count
345"LOOKING FOR TROUBLE" Otago Daily Times, Issue 22908, 16 June 1936, Page 15
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