GRAND JURY FINDS NO BILL

Taranaki Daily News, 3 December 1930, Page 6

GRAND JURY FINDS NO BILL

UNION SECRETARY DISCHARGED. JUDGE HOLDS INDICTMENT BAD •By Telegraph.—Press Association. Nelson, Last Night. In his address to the grand jury at the Supreme Court, to-day,. Mr. Justice Reed, referring to a charge of .alleged theft against Thomas Edward Bird, said accused was secretary of the Golden Bay Cement Company Industrial Union of Workers' at a salary of 7s. 6d. ft week, and was charged with the theft of vanous sums of money. The general count was. bad, as it" was laid down in the English Act that it was necessary to show that some specific sum.of money must be alleged to have been received from some specific individual or. company on some specific date requiring i to be paid to some specific person or companv. This had not been shown. indictment was bad, and it would be i duty of the jury to return no bill. k was no fault of the person drawing up the indictment that it was bad, as on the depositions his Honour cou d see how the charge could have been lai iu any other way, , m «naseHis Honour added that the manage .ment of the union seemed to- have bee shockingly slack. No records of any sort were kfpt Lt was. not shown g that if there was any deficiency J - was due t the accused. The nmon could not ex pect its books to be kept m a propei manner for 7s. 6d. was disNo bill was returned, and Bird was dis charged. ,