CIVIL SERVICE CADET'S LAPSE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 253, 21 July 1919, Page 2

CIVIL SERVICE CADET'S LAPSE

TWO YEARS'DETENTION. His Honour the Chiof Justice (Sir Robert Stout) on .Friday morning passed sentence on a youth named Charles Percy Chase, who pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court on Wednesday last to four charues of theft involving a. eum $ £118 103, ■ The prisoner entered the Civil Service as a temporary cadet on October 2, 1916, and was made a permanent cadet in tho fcHowinc month, 'being transferred to tho Immigration Department on April 1 last. It was in the latter Department that tho offences took place. The youth had ac-, cess to tho cash-box, and also to moneyorders, etc., receivcj by mail. Mr. P. W. Jackson, who appeared for the prisoner, called witnesses. John J. Welbourno, master gunnor, said that Cliaso was his wife's nephew, and. that ho had known him for the past four and a half years.. The prisoner was an orphan, and his father, who died in 11)17.. was addicted to drink, and never exercised proper control over. the boy. Tim lad was educated at tho Nelson Orphanage, and later at St. Patrick's College. He was a gifted boy, and one of the last that he would have thought would have committed such an offence. Hector Douglas Thomson, head of tho Immierution Department, - said that the prisoner ioined his Department on April. 1, and prior to that he was in the Justice DeDartment. His work had been satisfnctorv. and witness did'not know that he had any. particular vices. He had onlv been absent from the office on ono afternoon. Tho actual loss to the Deunvtment was ,£53. Mr. Jackson said the case was a pititul one. Tho prisoner was not yet eighteen years of nge, and. was an orphan, Ins mother having diml in IDO9 and his father in 1917. He was sent to the Ornlianase at Nelson wnen eight years old, and when twelve he gained a scholarship, and went to St. Patrick's College, and was there until he was fourteen years of mc when he went to work. Ho showed , considerable ability at college, and after, leaving he continued his studies. In l!)lfi ho ioined tho Civil- Service, and, was. employed, as a cadet for just on threo ;c,iT3. Up to this time he was not under any ' parental control.. His father was not. much use to him because, he wns addicted to drink, The lad had not had anv home training. Having no home when he set out to work, ho had to go to a boardinghorise, and. that-was. the bcinnina of Ris downfall, for there ho met others older than himself. Ho learned to play cards, and lost money. Uaviuß Rot an appetite for gambling, he went playing billiards also for. money. Ho cot bcliind.vrith hie gambling debts, winch had to bo paid, and that was tho direct cause of. Iris criminal acts. It was a Ditv that a lad who wns gifted in many ways should go to prison. He understood that probation, could not be Granted in a case of thefts from an employer, carried on over a period. .Counsel suCTtested that prisoner might bo or--1 flered to como up for eontence when eallC His Honour said it was not a case of ordinary embezzlement, it was more liko breaking and entering, and when tad with the offonce ho denied it, ant thus, cast reflections on tho other clerks in the Department. Nothing could be ,iono except to place him under the control of tho Prisons Board. Chase was sentenced to two years' reformative detention at Invcreargill.

For some'considerablo time (says the "Run"l tho Cliri=tchuvch Cily Council li,',s had in its by-laws a provision remiirine evelists to affix red reflectors to thn rear of their cycles, boon after that, provision was laid down, the enforcement of it was suspended been use of proKrinir in reflectors. Recently, tho e, mieil decided to enforce tie reinilar ' But asflin talk of profiteering has. n , isMl . At tho council's last meeting fini'iiicillor C. P. Afiar said ho had been informed that somo traders wero nsltini,' •>, i;d each for reflectors. nltlioiißh they Muld'liP bmiuht in quantities at B|d., ami filiould 1». retailed .for Is .3d. at tho mint On his siißgestion the fly-laws 'mi! Finance Committcp of (he, council was authorised to buy ana sell reflectors, if H lhnii|?lit. fit, so as to stop exploitalion It wns elated by Councillor J. ■\ Flesher. in the discussion of the subject, that there are 10,000 bicycles in ' Christchurcli.