DEFENCE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1913, Page 6

DEFENCE DAY.

TERRITORIALS IN COITRT,

A SOLICITOR'S PROTEST. NVedneiday is the recognised day at the Magistrate"* Court in Auckland for the hearing of prosecutions under the Defence Art, and the cases of the kind were proceeded with this morning after the persons who had been arresttxl overnight for drunkenness and other such offences had been dealt with. The cases had continued for about an hour, when a protest came from Mr. J. R. Lundnn, who was waiting as counsel for Mrs. Williamson, charged with murder.

Mr. Lundon protested against legal priwtitioners and police officers in a murder case being kept hanging round the Court while the defence cases were given priority of position, instead of being dealt with as ordinary summons cases. ilr. F. V. Frazer. S.M.. remarked that while he appreciated Mr. Lundon's point, it was undesirable that young fellows should be kept waiting round listening to the details of a murder case. Vrobably arrangements would be made to suit all parties when the courts were removed into the new building.

A NEW REGULATION.. The new regulation, which provides that territorials who do not pay within a fortnight the fines imposed by their officers may be brought before a magistrate, wae made use of for the first time in Auckland this morning, when Mr. Frazer had before him several territorials who had not paid up with in the fourteen days. He stated that as these were the first prosecutions,, he would not add any further punishment to the original fine, and ordered each defendant to pay the original fine and 7/ costs. IN AN EXEMPTED AREA. A charge against a youth named M. 3. McGregor, that he did not attend drill at Auckland on April 25, brought a letter from defendant to the effect that he had been located at Tarawera, ' 53 miles out of Napier, since November last.

The Magistrate eaid that he did not want to encourage a shirker, but it seemed to him that a charge of not attending drill at Auckland could not be sustained against a defendant who was in Tarawera at the time> and had been there for some months. There was also the fact that defendant was now living in an exempted area. The proper course appeared to bo to deal with defendarft under the regulations for not having notified his change of address. He would, however, reserve his decision, -pending consideration of the matter. DEFAULTERS. For failing to attend drill, Gilbert De Baugh, E. Jovnt. D. Mac Donald, T. J. Sheehan, and K. Turner were convicted (and discharged; while Thos. J. Connor and M. Thomson had un pa y 7/ costs apiece.