B.—l TPT. 111.

IX

STATEMENT OF IRREGULARITIES IN CONNECTION WITH PUBLIC MONEYS AND STORES—continued.

ii—B. 1 [I r. ll].

Nature of Irregularity. ! ! Action taken, and Result. Post and Telegraph Department—continued. IRREGULARITIES BY PERSONS NOT DEPARTMENTAL OFFICERS —Continued. £ s. d. Theft of cash, cheques, and stamps by burglars 56 15 9 Matter placed in hands of police. Cheques to value who broke into Kumeu Post-office of £34 2s. were subsequently returned through the post. Loss to Department, £22 13s. 9d. (a). Theft of departmental tools from tool-boxes, .. Offender pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two Island Bay months' imprisonment with hard labour. The tools were recovered. No loss to Department. Theft of postal packets .. .. .. 2 0 0 Offender pleaded guilty and was committed to the Borstal Institute. Loss to Departments, £2 (a). Fraudulent withdrawal from savings-bank 72 0 0 Offender pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eighteen account months' reformative detention. Restitution has been made. Theft of mail-bag from express train .. 33 2 6 Matter placed in hands of police. Loss to Department, £33 2s. 6d. (a). Theft of letter containing a cheque .. .. 18 11 Offender pleaded guilty and was placed on probation for three months. No loss to Department. Theft of mail from a rural-mail box .. .. .. Offender sentenced to seven days' imprisonment. No loss to Department. Theft of letter containing bank-notes .. 3 10 0 Offender pleaded guilty, was admonished, and the charge withdrawn for two years. A refund of the amount has been made. Theft from train of mail-bag containing depart- 69 19 9 Matter placed in hands of police. Paid documents mental remittances and registered packets amounting to £12 were amongst the stolen mail, but duplicates can be obtained for these. Loss to Department, £57 19s. 9d. (a). Theft of stamps and cash by burglars who broke 21 5 2| Matter placed in hands of police. Loss to Departinto Manor Place Post-office merit, £21 5s. 2£d. (a). Fraudulent entry in savings-bank pass-book .. 15 0 0 Offender pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay costs of prosecution and to come up for sentence if called upon within two years. No loss to Department. Fraudulent statement regarding posting of letter .. Offender pleaded guilty and was fined £15 and adcontaining postal notes mitted to probation for a period of two years. No loss to Department. Fraudulent statement and forgery concerning .. Persons concerned were found guilty and were con-money-orders victed and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. No loss to Department. Fraudulent statement concerning posting of a 12 0 0 Offender pleaded guilty and was sentenced to twelve letter said to contain bank-notes months' detention in the Borstal Institution. No loss to Department. Fraudulent withdrawal from savings - bank 6 6 0 Offender pleaded guilty and was ordered to come up account for sentence when called upon within two years and to pay the costs of the prosecution. The amount has been recovered. Fraudulent statement regarding posting of letter 7 10 0 Offender pleaded guilty and was admitted to prosaid to contain bank-notes bation for two years and ordered to pay costs of the prosecution. No loss to Department. Damage to safe at Pokaka by explosion of .. Offender was found guilty on several charges and was dynamite sentenced to three years' bard labour on several charges of breaking and entering, and to two years' hard labour on each of several charges of false pretences, the sentences to be concurrent. He was also declared an habitual criminal. There was no loss of cash. Theft of letter containing bank-notes, postal 15 6 Offender pleaded guilty and was convicted and notes, and stamps by employee of sender ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within twelve months. No loss to Department. Theft of letter containing postal notes by em- 0 16 0 Charge of fraudulently stating a letter had been ployee of sender posted was dismissed, but on a charge of theft offender was sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labour. No loss to Department. Theft of letter containing cheque .. .. 18 0 0 Offender convicted, fined £3 and 10s. costs. No loss to Department. Theft of letter containing postal notes .. 1 10 0 Offender pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment. No money was lost to Department. Theft from Post-office at Waipapakauri by .. Offenders sentenced to two years' detention in the burglars Borstal Institute. There was no loss to Department. Fraudulent withdrawal from savings - bank 10 0 0 Offender pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two account years' reformative detention. As the forgery was made possible by carelessness on the part of the depositor, the loss will not be borne by Department. Thefts from private letter-box and detention of 17 6 4 Offender admonished and discharged and ordered to postal packets make restitution. The amount has been recovered. Theft of letters containing postal notes and 16 0 Offender fined £3 and ordered to make restitution, stamps from a rural-delivery route There was no loss of money to Department. Theft of bank-notes from a letter, and forgery of 2 0 0 On the charge of theft offender was convicted and a telegram ordered to come up for sentence within six months and to make restitution ; on forgery charge offender was placed on probation for one year. No loss was suffered by Department. (a) Amount requires to be written off with parliamentary authority under section 3 (3), Public He venues Act, 1920.