“ LETTER SORTER OUGHT TO GET EXPENSES.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17905, 22 July 1926, Page 2

“ LETTER SORTER OUGHT TO GET EXPENSES.”

SEQUEL TO ACQUITTAL ON CHARGE OF THEFT. (Special to the “Star.*') WELLINGTON, July 22. J. C. M’Lellan, a letter sorter at the Christchurch Post Office, was charged with the theft of a postal note in 1923. He was tried at the Magistrate’s Court and acquitted. He has petitioned the House of Parliament three times in succession and three times he has received a favourable recommendation from the Special Committee of the House. The third petition was report- | ed on yesterday. Mr E. J. Howard presented the peti- J tion to Parliament, and when the re-, port of the committee was presented said that this was one of the cases which caused one to wonder whether , the special committees of the House > were worth while, because, no rhatter what their findings might be, they very seldom received any consideration at the hands of the Government. The petitioner had been for twenty years in the postal service, and was in that service to-day, holding a first-class character in the Department. He was suddenly arrested without warning and charged with theft, his house being searched by the police. The Court had acquitted him, there being no evidence on which to enter a conviction; in other words, the Court said the man was not guilty. The Postal Department had undertaken to pay M’Lellan for the time he was off duty, but refused to pay his expenses. The House now had before it the third recommendation for favourable consideration, and it was to be hoped that on the present occasion the recommendation would be given effect to. The sum involved was not large—it amounted to £7 10s for expenses. It was a very serious matter for a man to be charged with the theft of a postal packet containing fifteen shillings, and, after the charge had been proved to have been unfounded, to be unable to obtain any redress—except that he had not been discharged from his employment. On behalf of the petitioner, he (Mr Howard) desired to thank the committee for their recommendation, and to urge the Government to act on that recommendation. Mr E. P. Lee, Hon Mr Buddo and Mr 11. G. K. Mason supporte.d the petition. The chairman of the M to Z Committee, Mr J. M’C. Dickson, also put in a strong plea for Mr M’Lellan,