OBTAINED WORK ON RELIEF SCHEME.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 185, 6 August 1931, Page 7

OBTAINED WORK ON RELIEF SCHEME.

CASE AGAINST WORKER IS DISMISSED BY S.M. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, August (i The case in which Nathaniel M’Kay was chi- ged with obtaining £l7 10s from the New Zealand Government by way of relief under the No. 5 scheme by falsely representing that he had nu money to his credit in the bank was the subject of a reserved decision given by Mr W. 11. Woodward, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Lower Ilutt yesterday. The charge against M’Kay was dismissed. The Magistrate said that what M'Kay did was to obtain unemployment relief by making a false certificate as to his financial position. There was no authority on the subject, but Mr Woodward said that, having consider ed the matter carefully and communi cated with Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., regarding a similar case heard by him. he was clearly of the opinion that in doing what he did the defendant had not obtained money by false pretences What he had obtained was work and for the' money he had received he had given its equivalent in work. The charge must be dismissed. He would not say that possibly some other charge would not lie against the defendant.