CRIME PUNISHED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24292, 5 June 1942, Page 4

CRIME PUNISHED

[VARIOUS OFFENCES ESCAPE FROM CUSTODY Prisoners were sentenced by Mr. Justice Callan yesterday. Mr. Cleal represented the Crown. "Although he is only 25, for the last five years he has led a life of crime, and has accumulated an extraordinary number of convictions for dishonesty of various kinds," said His Honor, when sentencing Robert John Mann, motor driver, for escaping from custody. His Honor said that when prisoner was last before the Court last year he was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for five burglaries, four thefts, attempted burglary and burglary with intent. He imposed a sentence of 12 months' imprisonment, to be cumulative upon his previous sentence. Prisoner broke away from custody while he was at the! Auckland Hospital for treatment. In military uniform, Thomas Leslie Daley, aged 25, appeared for sentence for his association with another soldier in the theft of £l5O from a man who had shown them kindness. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. John Leslie Notman, aged 22 (Mr. Henry), was sentenced to 12 months hard labour for theft from a dwelling. Three charges of breaking and entering and theft and two of theft from a dwelling had been admitted by Robert Henry Martinson, agod 22 (Mr. Henry). He was sentenced to two years' hard labour. On a charge of committing an indecent act in a 'public place, William Thomas Birch (Mr. Sullivan) came before Mr. Justice Fair for sentence. He was sentenced to two months' imprisonment and ordered to take out a prohibition order. WOMEN CONDUCTORS ISSUE OF UNIFORMS TRAINING PROCEEDS WELL The first group of 20 of the 60 women who are to be trained as conductors on trams have been issued with their uniforms, and they are now going through the final stages of their instruction at the Auckland Transport Board's Gaunt Street depot. It has not yet been decided when women conductors will go on the trams. This will depend on a final review to be made shortly, of their grasp of the instruction they have received. It can be said, however, that their instructors feel highly gratified at the progress made in the past three weeks. There is a great deal for the women to learn. In the first place, they have to know all the section divisions on all routes and be able to identify their approach to sections by recognition of landmarks on the streets. As every tram traveller knows, this is no easy matter in Auckland's blacked-out nights. After the knowledge of sections has been conquered comes a further refinement—the naming of all principal intersecting streets within each section. Some acquaintance with the mechanical operation of trams is also required of the conductors. Especially, they must be competent and confident in handling the brakes, for the Auckland trams are not equipped with the "dead man's handle" which brings cars to a sudden stop in the case of a sudden collapse of the driver. Thus the women conductors must be able to step quickly into the breach in the case of one of those emergencies which almost never occur but may at any time. EVADED SERVICE DEFAULTERS SENTENCED Claiming that lie had written a letter notifying his change of address and had received no word from the Army that he had been balloted, Hex Launcolot Treadwell, salesman, aged 39, pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to report, when he appeared before Mr. J. Morling S.M., yesterday. StaffSergeant Bagnall said no word of accused's change of address had been received. "You have evaded service for three months," said the magistrate, in sentencing Treadwell to two weeks' imprisonment. Two men, Norman Engels Syme and John Bargli Swindells, who recently completed terms of imprisonment for failing to report, appeared on charges of failing to comply with a lawful order. Both men refused to hare anything to do with military service. They were ordered to be detained in a defaulters' camp. CONTEMPT CHARGE ARTICLE IN NEWSPAPER (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Thursday On the alleged grounds that publication of a certain article constituted unjustifiable comment on proceedings pending before the Arbitration Court, the publisher of the Dominion newspaper appeared before the Arbitration Court to-dav to answer a charge of contempt of Court. The information was brought by Mr. Cornwell, secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. The defendant pleaded not guilty and decision was reserved. 31 r. Cleary, for the informant, said the case arose out of the publication on March 4 of an article which stated: "Applications to the Arbitration Court for increased wages are advanced on the ground that the cost of living has increased and that wages must keep pace with that movement. It might be just, as well to recognise frankly that it cannot be done." It was suggested that the article had specific reference to a case before the Court at the time. This was denied by the defence counsel, Mr. Watson, who said the article was written immediately after an address broadcast by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. G. Holland, and was by way of comment on that. It was intended to appear the day before, but space prevented and it was only u coincidence that it appeared in the same issue as the report of the proceedings before the Court. Mr. Watson assured the Court there was a complete absence of any intention to embarrass the Court. Mr. Justice Tyndall remarked that at one stage his mind was open as to whether it was not obstruction rather than contempt. Only once before in the last 42 years had a similar case been brought before the Court.