SUSTENANCE FRAUDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 October 1938, Page 5

SUSTENANCE FRAUDS

TWO MEN SENT TO GAOL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, October 7. Three men who made false declarations under the Employment Promotion Act, Wallace Bruce Coates, William Beissel and Harold Walter Larkins, were dealt with in the Magistrate's Court this morning by Mf H. W. Bundle, S.M. They admitted obtaining various sums by false pretences — Coates £5 and £4, Beissel £1 0s Id and 17s Bd, and Larkins £1 13s 7d and 17s 7d. Chief Detective Holmes said that Coates, who was on sustenance, was required to make a declaration of his earnings. Over a certain period he gave his earnings as nil, whereas he had been employed by a coal merchant at £2 a week, which excluded him from relief. The second'charge against him concerned a similar declaration, at a later date. Coates (who said he was “guilty in a sense”): I knew nothing of the work I was allowed to take. Mr Bundle: You said your earnings were nil. Coates: I didn’t know the scale I was allowed to work under. Mr Bundle: But you made a false declaration. Coates: It was pure ignorance. Coates was sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment. Beissel, the chief detective said, gave his wife’s earnings as nil when she actually earned £2 Is Id. His explanation was that he had not read the forms very carefully. These, however, were perfectly- clear. Beissel: My wife hadn’t received her money when I made the declaration. On the first charge Beissel was fined £2 0s Id, and.on the second £1 17s 3d. Chief Detective Holmes said that Larkins declared his earnings as 5s 4d for one week, when he actually made £1 19s 2d on the wharf, and later signed another declaration that he had earned £l, whereas he was paid £2 14s 7d. Larkins was before the court on three similar charges in October of last year. Considerable leniency had been extended to him in the past. Mr Bundle: Have you anything to say. Larkins: No. Mr Bundle: You will be sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment. Larkins: Thank you.