"Judge Will Have To Review Term Given to Latham," Ottawa Citizen. April 23, 1930. Page 1. --- This Step is Necessary Be- fore Formal Action of Laying New Charges Against Housing Official Can be Taken. ---- Some City Fathers Not Impressed With Matter ---- Give Decided Impression They Are Merely Trying to Satisfy Public Opinion. ---- F. B. Proctor, K.C., city solicitor, will confer this afternoon with J. A Ritchie, K.C., crown attorney, regarding the new charges which will be preferred against Howard C. Latham. former secretary of the Housing Commission, on the instructions of the Board of Control. There is no obstacle to the laying of additional charges, just before Latham is brought from Kingston penitentiary to answer the new charges at once. it would appear that a judge will have to review the sentence already passed on Latham.
The Criminal Code makes it clear that an order of a judge must be secured and sets forth that the judge may issue an order to have the prisoner brought before the magistrate "if he is satisfied that the ends of Justice require it." The section under which Latham may be brought back is given on an inside page in a report of last night's proceedings at the city hall.
Unless the required order is given by the judge, the alternative would be to lay the new charges and have Latham tried on them after he has served his present sentence of two years. While City Council voted unanimously in favor of the laying of the new charges, several members do not hesitate to say that they acted in deference to public opinion as they interpret it and not that they think anything of consequence will be accomplished other than the satisfying of the public demand. If the trial would have to be delayed until Latham has served his term, many would be opposed to their going ahead then.
Latham pleaded guilty to stealing $50,000 and was sentenced to two years. The charge was for a lump sum covering from January 1, 1925, to Feb. 6 of this year. Additional defalcations include $14.357.20 prior to 1925. and an additional shortage of $3.704.17 reported by the auditors for the period since Jan. 1. 1925. In the $14.357 amount, 104 items are involved, the largest amount being for $300, and the majority of them for much smaller sums.










