BIRTH CONTROL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 140, 15 June 1945, Page 3

BIRTH CONTROL

CIRCULAR LETTER

SENDER TO PAY £50 FINE

Three charges of wilfully sending an indecent document through the post were preferred against a middleaged man, Frederick Charles Beckett when he appeared on summons before Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Police Court this morning. who was represented n reV ° r H u enry ' not £50 ° ne char & e he w as fined

fonowini V tff ergeant Aplin said that ionowing the announcement of her Sf en nn nt A n a Wellington papei on December 21, a voune Sl,t rec l a - letter from tol A," v ? Of Box 2089, Auckland, containing a circular! One paragraph of the circular reieired to "a special service for fnw£, Wlve , s and en gagGcl girls," and ™ d readers to "write in strictest ?° nf J? enc( ? to the manageress, marking their letter 'personal,' in order to obtain expert advice based on many years' experience." It added that to tnose interested would be sent, on request only, a list of birth control goods in a plain sealed envelope. Detective-Sergeant Aplin said one paragraph stated: "We might mention we have rendered services during the many years we have been in business to many thousands of young wives and engaged girls, and have saved them a good deal of embarrassment, worry and disappointment. Please look upon this service as one from one woman to another, who will give your problems sympathy and understanding." "The young lady was so disgusted that she reported the matter to the Health Department, who referred it to the Police Department," added De-tective-Sergeant Aplin. Subsequently a constable attached to the women's division wrote asking for advice on family planning, and in reply received what Mr. Aplin termed "a disgusting letter" dealing with the use of different contraceptives and advice on family planning. The letter was signed "Mrs. M. Lockwood, manageress." Later a constable wrote and received a similar circular.

"Immoral or Mischievous" On April 30 Detective-Sergeant Kearney interviewed Beckett, who admitted he was the proprietor of the Institute of Hygiene and that he himself sent out all letters, signing the name of "F. C. Lockwood" to mep and "Mrs. M. Lockwood" to women. Beckett said that "Lockwood" was an old family name and that there was no manageress. He also said that he sent out approximately 250 circulars, mostly to people whose engagement notices appeared in newspapers, and that he was in the habit of going to public libraries to obtain names and addresses. He further said he received 42 replies, and about one-third ordered goods which he procured from business firms and sent to them. He intimated that he was not going to send any more circulars, as that part of the business did not pay him. He had been in business since about the middle of December last.

"It is contended that the documents concerned in this case come within one of the classes specified in section 6 of the Indecent Publications Act, 1910, and that the act of defendant was of an immoral or mischievous tendency," concluded the detec-tive-sergeant.

It was submitted by Mr. Henry that all the young woman received was a circular. As far as the other two charges were concerned it was obvious that the police sought information for the purpose of a prosecution. There was no further offence alleged from the time of sending the letter to the young woman until April 10, a period of three months. Counsel said there was nothing in the paragraph quoted from the circular which was of an indecent nature.

" Enlightenment" Mr. Luxford: Is it not an indecent or mischievous thing to write to a girl' about to get married giving information about birth control? Mr. Henry: I suggest not. Family planning is freely discussed in these enlightened times. Mr. Luxford: When you speak of enlightenment do you suggest that race suicide is enlightenment?—l submit that medical men teach these things. As far as family planning is concerned there is nothing indecent in that. The magistrate asked what, would be the effect on many young girls receiving a letter such as sent out by defendant. The time might come later on when for health or economic reasons the advice might be sought, but the present case was one where a man searched, as he said, to get names of couples who. became engaged and sent price lists. M-r Henry said there was nothing to prove that there were any mischievous or immoral tendencies s Sn a ci/s sth «r!u= were discussed medically and lots of people sought instruction on them. , _~„ „ " Sugar-coated Pill "If people like to write to someone who is in practice that is a different matter," said Mr. Luxford, "tmt when this man, for purposes of his own, deliberately practises a deception'by saying that he has a men's and a women's department that puts the matter on a different b3 Mr" Luxford said the document cent out by defendant was like a pill which was sugar coated but was bitter and nasty, inside. "When we find a man posing as a manwoman and having the two statuses of manager and manageress and sending these letters to people whose names he finds by going roundTth! libraries if that f immoral, it is indecent with a Swevous tendency," he added re a nU ne al|t°erToS e e S^c^rSis^ 5 '