FALSE STATEMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 7 August 1929, Page 7

FALSE STATEMENT

PENSIONER CONVICTED

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

DUNEDIN, sth August. James \Vhitlaw Ramsey appeared on remand in the Magistrate's Court today before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., on" a charge of making a false statement under the Pensions Act, in 'thai he did not all the moneys that were coming to Jiim. Chief-Detective Liriiewm said that the officer in charge of the local Pensions branch had been advised by the head office lowithiuld £1 a week wlvcu had hitherto been paid to Mrs Hamsay. There was tic mention of restitution. The defendant would now rsceive £3 per week as pensim. Mr Calvert, for the defendant, suggested that the department, knowing Earnsay was a railway servant, might have mado more searching inquiries. As it was, Ramsay contended that the money lying .with the Railway Department was his owij, and thought ho was not bound to disclose it. The Pensions Department apparently thought he was only a casual railway servant, and the question of superannuation did not come into it. The defendant's status was 75 per 1 cent, disabled, so that it was almost impossible for him to work. He was a South African war veteran, and had also served during the last war. Tin: department's desire to have circulated that all sources of income must be disclosed had been well served by this case. The Magistrate i said that it was due to pensioners to disclose fully in their applications the receipt and'source of all moneys which were received. It was not done in this case, with the result that the large sum of £650 was overpaid._ Taking into consideration the physical infirmities of defendant, it was impossible for the Court to make any satisfactory decision in all respects. The defendant would be convicted and ordered to come up .for sentence if called upon within five years, 20s a week ,to be deducted off either, his or his wife's pension; leave to be reserved to Pensions Department to make application for further reduction at any time within five years.