PERSONAL LOSSES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19124, 19 September 1936, Page 15

PERSONAL LOSSES

LEADER OF DEMOCRATS PARTY CAMPAIGN DEBTS ,Sl T M OF £.1.000 RECEIVED EXTRA £IOO MONTHLY (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. Evidence taken in Wellington was read in the Magistrate's Court, at Auckland during tho hearing of the chum mado by Harry Charles P-aulf against. several " persons connected with the Democrat Party, to recover £195 as the balance of salary and expenses allegedly owing for work'as the Auckland organiser for the party, In the. evidence taken in Wellington, T. C. A. Ilislop, late leader of the Democrat, Party, slated, he. knew that tho plaintiff acted ;is organiser for the party in Auckland, but lie knew nothing of [hi-, terms of the appointment of Baulf. llislop's function was to act as the lcrrder of the candidates in the field and to address meetings throughout the country. Ho was not a member of the executive.

Replying to Mr. O. C. Mazcngarb, Ilislop said ho received a cheque for £5250, or thereabouts, mado payable to his order. .It was handed to him by A. E. Davy while on tour. Ho was to bold that, money for the general purposes of tho party, and he lodged it to the credit of a. Ilislop trust account. Ho did not, pay the money to the treasurer, as he was' expressly asked by Davy to keep it in his own account. _ The treasurer knew this, and no question was ever raised about it. DISBUE SEMENTS AE R ANGED The witness mado many payments out of this account with the concurrence of the child' executive, Davy, anil to the knowledge of the treasurer. Prior to the general election day, the whole of the money had been applied in accordance with arrangements made by tho chief executive officer. The arrangements included a personal payment, to the, witness, the total of this amount being £IOOO. '.this was paid to protect him to some extent against an anticipated financial loss resulting from tho campaign of six months. Actually he. had suffered a heavy loss through the campaign. Apart from the money out of the £3250, ho had an arrangement with Davy for £IOO a month for'three months to be paid to his office under an arrangement he had mado with his partners. Default was mado in the payment of one sum ol £IOO and the witness paid it to his partners out of his own money. After the election, he ascertained that an.amount exceeding £I2OO was owing by tho party for election expenses to various creditors. The witness had paid, purely ex gratia, approximately £7OO out of his own moneys since tlic election towards the. payment of the election debts. He did this because hei did notlike people to remain, unpaid for services rendered to an organisation with which his name was connected.-He was personally the loser of a very considerable sum.