CHRISTCHURCH OFFICIALS SUSPENDED.

Colonist, Volume XLVII, Issue 11432, 11 September 1905, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH OFFICIALS SUSPENDED.

THE CHAGERS^ THEY HAVE TO ANSWER. Cheistchukch, September 9. This morning Messrs Willis, Larcombe, West, and Lundon, the four Christchurch Post Office officials who have figured prominently in the | voucher case, were formally sus- ] pended by the Chief Postmaster j until further notice. A letter from the Secretary of the Post and Tele- ! graph Department was handed to Willis, charging him witn having committed certain breaches of duty by searching records, and giving Mr F. M. B. Fisher, M.H.R., the num- 1 ber and amount of voucher No. 15819 ;j informing Mr Fisher that a voucher for an amount exceeding £70 had passed through the Christchurch Post Office, payable to R. J. S. Seddon for reorganising Defence stores; delivering to Mr Fisher an affidavit that he, Willis, saw such voucher; giving to Mr T. E. Taylor, M.H.R. a duplicate of the original of such affidavit ;and sending, with the other three, the following telegram to Mr Taylor : — ' ' We are confident an unrestricted enquiry will establish the charge. I hope you will pass our motion." Mr Willis is required to plead to the charges, and is given till September 13th to make any written defence. Mr West received a similar letter, with the omission of the first charge. Mr Larcombe received a similar letter, with an additional charge that he informed another fperson that the ; voucher passed through the Christ-: church Post Office. i Mr Lundon is charged only with sending a telegram.