CANVASSER FINED £20

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 419, 30 July 1928, Page 13

CANVASSER FINED £2O

“DESERVED IMPRISONMENT” FAILED TO ACCOUNT FOR £3O “He deserves a substantial term of imprisonment,” said Mr. W. R. McKean. S.M., as he fined Wesley Marriott Charles Webb, aged 29, £2O, at the Police Court this morning. Webb was charged with forging the name of J. A. Wallace as endorsement to a cheque for =£4 10s, and with failing to account for ten sums of money totalling £29 Is. In regard to the forgery, Mr. Marchant, who appeared for Webb, said that, as the cheque was not negotiable, the endorsement was immaterial.

“I do not agree with you,” said the magistrate, “but we are dealing with the other ten charges.”

Cliief-Detective Hammond outlined the story of the transactions. He said that Webb had been employed to canvass for advertisements which were to be inserted in a handbook on “Golf Rules,” which was being published by Wallace, a printer. Webb had written to the various firms that had agreed to take advertisements, asking for payment, as funds were needed to buy paper so that the booklet could be published. He had signed the letters “J. A. Wallace, per C.W.” He had then taken the money and cashed the cheques with an hotel proprietor. John Alexander Wallace said that he had employed the prisoner as-can-vasser at 25 per cent, commission. He was not in need of money at the time that Webb had written to the contracting firms. Webb was working under a special arrangement by which a prior indebtedness was to be liquidated. Mr. Marchant said that the monev had not been appropriated. It was merely held by Webb pending a balance between the contracting parties. Mr. W. R.- McKean, S.M.: Here is a case where a man, working to discharge a prior indebtedness, appropriates the-, money he has collected.

Chief-Detective Hammond: Full restitution has been made since the arrest, so, in the circumstances, I shall call no evidence on the forgery charge. The fine was imposed on the first charge of failing to account, Webb being convicted and discharged on the remaining nine.