N.S.W. UNION FUNDS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19137, 5 October 1936, Page 5

N.S.W. UNION FUNDS

"SHORTAGE OF £14,000" ALMOST BANKRUPT SYDNEY, Sept. 16. During the hearing in the Quarter Sessions yesterday of charges of forgery and uttering against Francis John Sewell, 24, formerly a clerk employed by the Australian tramways and Omnibus Employees' Association, New South Wales branch, Mr. Hidden, for the defence, said that over a. number of years there had been a shortage of arbout £14,000 in the association's funds. There had been an. extraordinarily lax system, and no one could say that Sewed received these-moncys. Sewell was found guilty - and--recom-mended to mercy. He was bound over on a surety of £SO to be of good behaviour for four years.

Detective-Sergeant Nye said that Sewell had been employed as a clerk in the union for about eight years. He had been informed by members of the union that the prisoner had been a frequent visitor to racecourses and greyhound meetings. The mortality benefit fund of the union was practically bankrupt, and there were widows of deceased members now waiting payment of the £2CO they were entitled to under the fund. They were being paid by instalments. Another man had been arrested, but he bad been in hospital for some time past. This man would appear on different charges to those, made against Sewell. Tho Crown Prosecutor. Mr. Crawford, K.C., said that since 1934 there was a shortage in the mortality fund of the union of £3931. The total shortage in the general fund and the mortality fund during that period was £5082. .fudge Thomson said that he did not feel inclined to send Sewell to gaol because it was bis first appearance before the court. He was not disregarding the seriousness of the offence.