Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 186, 24 December 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From Our Resident Reporter. TARANAKI SCOTTISH SOCIETY At a meeting of the executive of tho Taranaki Provincial Scottish Society, the president (Mr. W. L. Kennedy) presiding, there was a very good attendance. It was decided to hold the second Burns supper in the Stratford Town Hall on 24th January, on account of thb 25th falling on a Saturday. A special committee was set up to carry out the arrangements. It was also decided, in conformity with the aims of the society, to offer prizes for the best essays on "The Life and Times of Sir William Wallace," competition to be open to children of Scottish descent attending schools in the Taranaki provincial district, competitors to be under 15 years of age. Prizes will be: First, gold medal and 3 guineas; second,-2 guineas; third, one guinea. One guinea was voted to the school prize fund of the Inglewood branch, and a guinea to the Stratford hospital. It was decided to change the designation of the president and vice-presidents to "chief" and "chieftains," to avoid clashing with the officers of the various branches. I PLEAD GUILTY ALLEGED FORGERY AND UTTERING. DEFALCATIONS OVER £I3OO. The Stratford Police Court was occupied during practically the whole of yesterday in hearing a series of charges of forgery and uttering brought against Percy William Copeman Wilson, imprestee in the office of the resident engineer of the Public Works Department, at Stratford. Messrs. C. D. Sole and J Masters, Justices, were on the Bench. Detective-Sergeant Boddain, of New Plymouth, conducted the prosecution, and Mr. R. Spence with him Mr. Maealister) appeared for the accused. The first charge was one of uttering a voucher in June last in favour of J. M'lntosh from "one day" to "21 days," and from 15s to £ls 15s.

I Charles John M'Kenzie, resident engineer in charge of the Public Works Office, Stratford, deposed that the accused was chief clerk in the Stratford office since July, 1011. Accused was f also iniprestee and paymaster, and in ! the latter capacity paid the men him- | self, though sometimes he was assisted jby another man. As iniprestee, his i duties were to receive money from the Paymaster-General to pay moneys against the department. On receipt of certificates and time-sheets from the assistant-engineer, it was accused's duty to make out vouchers according to these documents. He would then draw money from his imprest account to cover those vouchers, and take the money and the vouchers out to the works and pay the men. After the vouchers were receipted they were brought back to Stratford by tlie accused, who would then make up his accounts to the PaymasterGeneral. Before final dispatchment of vouchers, accused's duty was to place all vouchers before him (witness) for his certificate. After claiming credit for all vouchers accused had to forward his accounts to the Treasury. Wilson had the assistance of three clerks, but accused had the sole handling of the money and had the rise of a safe in the Stratford office. No one else, so far as he knew, had the keys of this safe. Subvoucher No. 446 (produced) purported to be a pavment to J. M'lntosh, of Ohakune East, of £ls 15s for the hire of one horse and dray for twenty-one days at 15s per diem. It bore M'ln- > tosh's receipt for that amount.. The , voucher now produced was handed to witness for his signature on or about | the 19th of July last. On the 18th. of November last, on which day he called the accused into tyis office, "I showed him the letter-press copy of the voucher produced/' witness continued, "and said to him, 'Did you do this?' After looking at it for a few minutes, : he said, 'I admit it; I did it in a weak moment.' T said, 'You are very foolish,' and asked him why he did it. He replied that he was short on his cash, and thought he would make it up that way. I then suspended him from duty." When accused was absent from the office the witness himself took up his duties.

It was proved by the payee, and by the assistant engineer at Ohakune, that M'lntosh had a claim for only 15s against the department, and had been paid only that amount, although the voucher showed him as in receipt of £ls 15s. William Wilson, clerk in charge of the imprest branch of the Treasury, proved that the. money had been advanced to pay this debt, and that the accused had been credited with expending the amount.

A plea of guilty was entered, and the accused was committed to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence. The second charge was that on or about September 25, 1012, the accused, as imprestee, forged a sub-voucher for co-operative payments purporting to be. an authority for payment of £65 Is Id to W. Herbert. Lengthy evidence was led to show that there was no such person as W. Herbert, and that the voucher had been deliberately forged. , The accused pleaded guilty, and was eonnnitted for trial to the Supremt Court. The total amount of the defalcations, including the amounts involved in the charges investigated, was a little over £l.lOO. T he accused pleaded guilty to each clv.rge, and was committed to the Supuine Court at Wellington for sentence.

STRAY PARAGRAPHS P,ep)ying to tlio toast of his health at the banquet last week, the Mayor said that there was no relaxation on the part of the public men i.' Stratford, and they would find that these public men were very much alive, and would take action if'they found there was any undue dispensing with men on the Strat-ford-Te Konra line, and when they took action the agitation would be felt all over the Dominion. The line was one of such importance that no Government would leave it uncompleted for any great J length of time. BERNARD S PICTURES The audience at His Majesty's Theatre was delighted, as its members had every reason to be. with the splendid cinematograph pictures screened. Some glorious Old World scenery was show)) in the film entitled "The Valley of the Galzach." a favourite haunt, of Continental tourists. The dramas are special, and the comics extra special. This programme, which is given in dotail in the advertisement at top of this page, will be shown in full at the special matinee to-day. commencing at. one o'clock. Mine. Bernard has very kindly promised to give the whole of the. takings to the Hospital, and her staff, have all promised their time and services free. Full orchestra. Collecting boxes at tlie door. Christmas night. Special sacred programme, including "The Passion and the Death of Christ" and an American Bilile story from out West. This programme commences at 8.30 p.m., after the church eervicesi __