19 FALSE STATEMENTS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19679, 11 July 1938, Page 5

19 FALSE STATEMENTS

WAGES NOT DISCLOSED WIFE EARNED MONEY Nineteen charges of making false statements for the purpose of obtaining a benefit under the Employment Promotion Act were made against Robert Sutherland Reid, aged 64, when he appeared to-day before Mr. E. L. Walton, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court. Having pleaded guilty to all the charges through his solicitor, Mr. G. J. Jeune, the defendant was convicted and fined £1 and costs 10s on each charge. The charges covered the period from June 29, 1936. to February 21, 1938, and the excess payments totalled £2l 13s 6d. Prosecuting, Detective G. A. McWhirter said that it was a case in which the defendant’s wife was doing washing and during the time covered by the" charges he had earned £135 14s. The defendant had not disclosed his wife’s earnings and his excuse was that he was unaware that she was receiving payment for her work. Mr. Jeune said it was a ease in which the defendant had not disclosed the earnings of his wife, who, to a large extent, had to keep her husband, who was not a strong man. She had been compelled several years ago to do washing. On ocacsions the wife did work for her friends and did not charge them. He submitted that it was not a systematic attempt to get as much as possible from the depat .- ment.