CHAIRMAN OF A PUBLIC BODY PROSECUTED.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10186, 11 March 1911, Page 5

CHAIRMAN OF A PUBLIC BODY PROSECUTED.

; ; WELLINGTON,; Last Nights v ■' v T!ie.-adi''oui'no4 ; .'ca'3e hx r tfdacli« Hen-i ■.■ ..ry'.Davis, .Mayor >cf Ashburfcoa, charged, Hugo: Fri-edlaoider, fcrni'erly-;, leliairaiiak' 6s Hhe ;:feaburtoir; Hospital and Charitable' Aid'Bp'ardiwiik. liaV-'. ing beeii' interested in certain,payments made, in coimectipn -svitli the Hospital Boai'd ' account s, was taken at the/Magistrate's \ Court' today. ;• Mr Wilding,: for defendant, admitted receipt of -iiiie•■■ p'aymenfsi"v'aiid said he would take as .his defencer

the fact tliat Mr Friedlander being ;i busy public man, did not hare time to look after petty transactions, such as those mentioned in the charge. The Act mider wiich MiDavis had taken action was novel tc New Zealand, and the charge referred to ani act alleged 16 ' have taken, place on April 2nd or the day after which, the new Act came into force. The totaJ • amount involved was but the small sum of £l2 l(3s 3d, and Mr Wilding asked the Benchwhether even' if an irregularity was proved to exist it'was not of such a trivial and paltry character as to be beneath ihe Bench to notice. Mr Orbelt, for the plaintiff, said! that Mr Davis did net wish for the , infliction of a heavy "penalty, but it was the principle involved. The Magistrate reserved his decision.