WATERSIDER AND A STATE HOUSE

Chronicle (Levin), 8 October 1947, Page 7

WATERSIDER AND A STATE HOUSE

AUCKLAND, Oct. C. On a eharge of making a false and untrue declaration for the purpose of obtaining the allocation of a >State rental house from the Kehabilitation Department, Franlc Matthews, a waterside worker (Mr. Haiglij, tame before Justices of the Peace. Lawrence Raymond Pedrotti, field olficer of the Kehabilitation Department, said he examined the housing position of returned servicemen who applied for Btate houses. On Mav 30 he went to a house d*t II Cracroft Street, Parnell, where accused resided. Accused answered the door and said he vvas on compensation from the wharves as he had injured his back. Witness was showu tlie house by accused and his wit'e and was told that three males slept in oue of the bedrooms .upstairs and four females in the other. The bathrooni consisted of a tin bath in the wanlihouse. "As the result of my investigation I recoininended that accused be given liigh priority in the allocation of fttate hou-ses," continued vvitness. His grounds for niakiug this recoinmendation were the partial separation of the husband and wife and the cramped living couditions. . Oross-exaniined, witness said he now knew that accused had been a prisoner of war for two years. Adrian Gover, Kehabilitation Department field ollicer, described the inspection of ,a flat at (J5 Bassett Koad, Remuera. He said the flat was verv close to being self-contained and the couditions were excellent. A childless couple would be comfortably housed in sucli a flat under the housing couditions now prevailing. "Witness 's recomniendation for an allocation would have been for a deferred grading which was the lowest priority rating possilile. The owner of the flat _ at Bassett Road, Richard Patriclc Bol'aud, said accused and his wife had lived in the flat from August 2(i, 194(i, to approximately June 9, 1947. The flat was almost selfcontained. He understood accused had come to Jive at his flat from a place in St. Stephen's Avenue. A declaration made out by accused in liis presence, in vthicli accused stated his place of residence was 11 Cracroft Street, Parnell, was produced by Ian McBeth, clerk in the Kehabilitation Department. A declaration was required before an applicant could accept tenancy of a State house. Accused told witness that his statement was true and signed it as sueh. As a result of reports submitted priority was reeorded which enabled an allocation to be made to accused of a State house at Kaiu Street, Mt. Eden. Detective Moore gave evidenee that vvlieu he interviewed accused on September 5vaccused admitted that. the signature on the declaration was his. He declined to make a statement. Accused pleaded not guilty to the eharge ancL was committed to the Supreine Court for trial. Bail of £50 was allowed,