£15 FINE IMPOSED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 163, 12 July 1945, Page 6

£15 FINE IMPOSED

CENSORSHIP BREACH

"WISHED TO AVOID RED TAPE"

O.C. HAMILTON, this day. "He wished to avoid the 'red tape' and delay that were necessary under the Finance Emergency Regulations," said Mr. A. L. Tompkins in the Magistrate's Court this morning, when George Audley Johnston Acres, secretary, of Hamilton, was charged before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., with attempting to evade censorship. The charge alleged that on. January 9 the defendant posted a letter addressed to Mrs. S. McNeill, care of the C.P.0., Auckland, in which were enclosed correspondence and letters addressed to persons in England, for carriage to England otherwise than through the Post Office with intent to evade censorship. Senior-Detective W. R. Murray prosecuted. Defendant elected to be dealt with summarily and pleaded guilty. Returned to Dead Letter Office "Eighteen months ago the defendant received a communication from the Reserve Bank requesting him to declare his financial interests and holdings overseas," said Mr. Murray. "Apparently he resented the attitude of the Reserve Bank. In connection with the present charge he posted an envelope to Auckland to a woman who was travelling to England the following day. However, the letter was not lifted and was eventually returned to the Dead Letter Office, as a result of which it came to the authorities' notice." It was alleged, continued Mr. Murray, that defendant's aim was to avoid the matter coming under the notice of the Reserve Bank. It could come under notice only through censorship. It was an attempt to evade the finance regulations and, incidentally, the censorship regulations. The defendant hitherto had been a citizen pf good repute and cllcLt*dCt6F* " ' *' "The defendant's simple, and sole motive was to make a few small disbursements in England," said Mr. Tompkins. "He: wished to avoid delay caused by being required to secure the Reserve Bank's consent to every transaction out of New Zealand. Among the contents were a cheque for 18/ for a Book Club and a cheque to his mother in England. The'offence had nothing to do with the evasion of censorship. I doubt very much," continued Mr. Tompklins, "whether the Dead Letter Office had power to open the inner packages."

Comment by Magistrate

The magistrate' remarked that the Dead Letter Office was justified in opening letters when it was seen that they were. addressed to England. "It may be quite true that the Finance Emergency Regulations and censorship regulations do engender a feeling of resentment among some members of the community," s?»d the magistrate, "but they must remember the regulations affect everyone and are very necessary in time of war. It is every citizens loyal duty to comply with these regulations, which affect the whole finance and wellbeing of the country" The magistrate imposed a fine of £15. _____