BALLOT CARDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24850, 25 February 1942, Page 4

BALLOT CARDS

MANIPULATION BY CLERK CONCLUSION OF CASES FIVE ACCUSED SENTENCED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 24. The series of charges involving the manipulation of ballot cards to prevent ■ the calling up of reservists in ballots, a/id bribery by reservists to enable them to escape being called up till the final ballot, culminated in the Magistrate's Court to-day when two further charges of bribery were heard by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M. Henry Joseph August Berthold, a clerk in the National Service Department, who had pleaded». guilty to seven charges of manipulating ballot cards, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour on the first four charges, and convicted and discharged on the other three charges. On the bribery charges three of the accused were sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour, and one to one month. Passing sentence, the magistrate said the offences committed were likely to destroy public confidence in the impartiality of the ballot, and he had to see that the punishments inflicted should be a deterrent to others as well as a suitable corrective to those who had been found guilty. Case Dismissed The first case heard to-day was that against Frank Brendon Diederich, a commission agent, who was charged that on June 30, 1940, at Wellington, he offered a bribe to Berthold. He pleaded not guilty. Berthold, the chief witness for the Crown, repudiated a statement he had made to-the police, and on the application of the prosecutor, was declared hostile. Witness said he had borrowed sums from Diederich at different times and also had had betting transactions with him. The accused refused to have anything to do with the suggestions made to him by witness to have his card withdrawn from the register After hearing the evidence, the magistrate, agreed that the case should be dismissed, though, he said, there was grave suspicion.

The next case was against Edgar Hugh Sharp, a photographer, of Hamilton, who pleaded guilty to a charge that at Wellington,, on June 23, 1941, he wilfully attempted to deceive the Director of National Service with intent to procure his own exclusion from service as a member of the reserve. Enlisted for Service

Counsel for the accused said that Sharp had enlisted with the Air Force early in 1940; but had been classed C 3. He then attempted to join the army, but again was classed unfit for overseas service. Sharp then conthat it would be better for him to remain in his civil occupation than be employed in a menial position with the armed fbrcest and he sent £ls to have his card withdrawn from the ballot.

Before imposing the sentences, the magistrate said it would be admitted that the offences committed were likely to destroy public confidence in the impartiality of the ballot. The ballot system was, so far as it could be made so, a watertight system, so long only as those in charge were honest and above reproach: but no system which of necessity must employ a large staff could guard against fraud or criminality on the part of the members of such staff. Further, it was the bounden duty of those approached by Berthold, as patriotic and good citizens, immediately to have informed the responsible authorities, and in not doing so they had rendered possible his nefarious plans;. *'-•'' Three Months' Hard Labour

John Lamc-nt Howard, on two charges of bribery and one charge of failing to report for service, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour on the bribery charges, and convicted and discharged on the other charge. Hubert Edward Howard, on a charge of bribery, was sentenced to three months with hard labour, and a similar sentence was passed upon Francis Joseph "Dwyer, hotel manager, of Wellington. On a similar charge Edgar Hugh Sharp was sentenced to one month's hard labour. Applications were made for leave to appeal on behalf of Hubert Edward Howard and Francis Joseph Dwyer. Both applications were granted bv the magistrate, the fee being fixed at lOgns. ' -