MAXIMUM FINE

NZ Truth, Issue 1166, 5 April 1928, Page 5

MAXIMUM FINE

"Beckett's Budget" Is Convicted . (By Cable. — From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Sydney Rep.) : After considerable argument had I been forwarded by Mr. E. Sayegh on behalf of Beckett's Newspapers, Ltd., at the conclusion of the charge of selling an obscene publication, on Friday, Mr. Laidlaw, S.M., made no bones about his , finding. \"T HAVE carefully read the whole \ *■ issue," he said, "and apart from j the specific article on which the Crown I based its case I found considerable i other matter which supported the con- | tention that the publication was i obscene." The magistrate instanced several of the articles and said the publication of i such details was entirely opposed to i public decency. The defendant company was : guilty of the offence charged. "The maximum penalty inflicted by • the law is £20 and m my opinion this .is a case which demands the maximum. The company is fined £20."