SUSTENANCE PAYMENTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1938, Page 8

SUSTENANCE PAYMENTS

FALSE DECLARATIONS MADE. ONE WEEK’S HARD LABOUR. “In cases of this nature impositions on public monies are viewed very seriously by this department and where an intention to defraud is evident prosecution must follow," stated the District Employment Officer, Mr A. H. Eddy, in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court this morning when Claude Arthur Corbett, a married man with four dependent children, was charged under the Justices of the Peace Act and the Employment Promotion Act, with making false declarations. Mr H. P. Lawry, who was on the Bench, convicted accused and sentenced him to seven days’ hard labour on the first charge and convicted Him and ordered him to come up for sentence if called upon within six months on the second.

Mr Eddy said that from November 16, 1937 to April 4 last defendant had failed to declare his correct earnings. Altogether 16 false declarations were made resulting in overpayments of sustenance to the extent of £7 8s 7d being made to which he was not entitled. Seven of the false declarations, taken under the Justices of the Peace Act, resulted in excess payments of £1 19s 4d and nine false declarations taken under the Employment Promotion Act covered excess payments of £5 9s 3d.

Defendant, added Mr Eddy, had been employed by Mr W. A. Ball to deliver newspapers for which he received £1 a week. Only 10s of that amount had been declared on 12 occasions. He also received £3 15s 4d from a Te Ore Ore farmer and £ 1 9s from another farmer. Neither of those amounts were declared. Defendant said his wife had been in ill-health.

Mr Lawry, in sentencing defendant, said: “You might as well have stolen the money. You were not entitled to it.”