UNDER, WAR REGULATIONS.

AFTER "THE GIRLS" IH AUCKLAHD. WOMEN SENT TO GAOL. FOR KEEPING OPEN HOUSE. The first action in Auckland under the new war regulations dealing with houses of ill-fame came to finality at the Police Court, before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., thi3 morning, when, as the result of observation by Plain-clothes Constables Potter and Clifford, three women were charged that within the pait month they were deemed to have been tie keepers of three separate houses of illfame within the city: Two other women were charged that they "had resided at one of these houaes. Freda Clive (35), a well-dressed woman, was charged that she was deemed to have been, within the last month pa3t, keeper of a houee of illfame in White Street (off Upper Queen Street); and Minnie Masters (37), lees attractive in appearance and dreae, was charged that she resided at the aforesaid house of ill-fame. LOOKING FOR "THE GIRLS." Constable Potter stated that on September 6 he and Constable Clifford started to keep the house in which the women lived under regular surveillance. That night, aa they approached the houee, they were accosted by a man who inquired if they were "looking for the girls," and -vouchsafed certain information concerning the qualities of one of the accused. The man also made mention of the fact that beer was obtainable: in the house. This man had been seen several times by witness carrying beer to the house. A number of men, soldiers and others, were seen nightly and on afternoons, frequenting the house, and on some occasions witness and Clifford hid themselves beside a window of the house, and overheard conversations inside, relating to drink and immorality,-samples-of which the witness to the Court. ; When arrested last night, Masters said it served her right, she should have got out of the place eoonor. Constable Clifford corroborated the statements of the previous witness, adding that respectable people lived in neighbouring houses on either side of the house inhabited by the accused. Constable J. E. Robinson and Sergt. McCarthy stated that the prior history of both accused was that of immoral life, giving incidents that had come under their notice. Senior-Sergeant Rutledge stated that the charge was laid under war regulations gazetted on September 10, the penalty ranging to twelve months' imprisonment or a fine of £50. VICTIMS OF PARTICULAR FRIENDS. 1 Alfreda Clive stated that ehe .was. a J married woman, her 'husband . having gone to the front with the Fifteenth Reinforcements. The men who went to the house, she said, were particular friends 1 of her husband, and had not gone to the ■house with the intent stated. She denied that any such conversations as detailed by Constable Potter had ever taken place in the house. Mrs. Mastere rented a room and use of the kitchen at the house. In reply to Senior-Sergeant Rutledge, the witness stated that she "took a drink," but was not addicted to drink to any extent, though she had been locked up for drunkenness once, the day before her husband went away. There wasn't any black man, she said, who "ran the cutter" , for her. She didn't know that a particular house she visited was a house of reputed ill-fame. She got 5/ a <iay military allowance from her husband, i Minnie Masters, a married woman, said she got an allowance of 25/ a week from her husband, and the dark man spoken of by the constables was a particular friend of her family. She had been warned to leave the last house she wae in at Newton, because of some young ladies who were in the house. In reply to the Senior-Sergeant, witness said that a married woman had stayed a few days at the house with her and left yesterday. She was ill for about a day.."but no operation had been performed o - .j her. and only her husband visited her. didn ; t know what the illneES was. Witness' daughter of twelve stayed at the house with "Her. Both accused were convicted, and were •entenced to two months' hard labour.