A CAUTION TO PAWNBROKERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 62

A CAUTION TO PAWNBROKERS.

In the Police Court on the 11th Walter Gabriel Rossitsr applied for the renewal of his pawnbreekr’s license, and before hearing - the application Mr Widdowson, S.M., said the police had complained to him that pawnbrokers generally did not give all the assistance they should to the police when the latter were searching for stolen property. Ho instanced the case of one Mrs Johnston, who had stolen a ring at Gore, and the customary notice was given to pawnbrokers by the. police. That ring was pawned to Rossiter, but he denied having' received it. Mrs Johnston subsequently redeemed the (pledge, which was forwarded to the owner, but that was done without the police being informed of the fact. Mr Rossiter, in explanation, said he did not remember the case very clearly, but it had always been his custom to show the pledges to the police when inquiries were in a de. Chief-detective Herbert said it was not Ross iter’s custom to give the same amount otf .information that other pawnbrokers did. He would when applied to merely look through his books, and if there were no particular marks on the pledge would say, “ No, I know nothing .about it.” He never showed the pledges to the police, and this compelled the detectives to complain of his conduct. Detectives - Mitchell and Hunt went to Rossiter three times about Mrs Johnston’s ring. His Worship said the ring should not have been given back to the owner, but handed over to the police. Rossiter said he was certain he did not refuse to show the ring to the detectives, and had concealed nothing about it. Chief-Detective Herbert called Rossiter’s attention to the case of a watch pawned by a man named Luby, who lost the ticket, which was taken by a bookmaker to Rossiter, who kept it, because of an affidavit made by Luby. No notice was given to the police of that transaction as required by the Pawnbrokers’ Act. Rossiter, in. explanation, said he tjjld

Luby he must make a declaration of Ins loss, but Luby never came back with the signed declaration. His Worship pointed out that Rossiter did not give information to the police, or a- justice of the peace, as ho was bound to do.

Chief-Detective Herbert said the complaint against Rossiter was that m such eases the position he took up was never to move a yard unless the (police found out the facts. He also complained that Rossiter, who lived on his business premises, kept a light burning in his shop after 9 o’clock, closing time, leading the public to believe he was prepared to do business. He further complained that Rossiter had .not held an auction sale for five years before, his last safe in October last, and that he kept a watch in pawn for five

years and charged the owner the highest rate allowed by the act for the whole of that time. Chief-detective Herbert said the (police had no personal objection to Rossiter, who was regarded as a respectable man, but the irregularities he committed, were against the interests of the public. His Worship, in granting a renewal, advised the applicant to study the Pawnbrokers’ Act, to hold a sale more than once in five years, and not to let irregularities in the conduct of his business occur again.