SENT TO GAOL.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20572, 14 June 1932, Page 7

S ENT TO GAOL.

pqur communists. tW 0 OTHERS CONVICTED. gemination of seditious literature. ÜBOCUTIO* TIU WELLINGTON June 13. P Ihe parts they played in the dis- ••• of Communist literature *?fTthe opinion of the Beneh, whs **Led to do a great amount of harm, Francis Griffin, Alexander Gal•ttTand John Joseph Kobinson Were v sentenced to reformative detention Period not exceeding three years E Page- s3f - in the Ma S istrate ' s \o-ibty. William Alexander °*i Lockhart was sent to gaol for 'fflonths, while Leslie Raymond Mijand Edward Hogan were conft nd ordered to come up for senif called upon within two years. Thames arose out of the publica- ,' «d distribution of the "Red WWter" an d a P ::lu P hlet •'Strike Strategy and Tactics.' Etidenec involving the constitution f rt'-. communist Party, and questions t» ihe authority of members of the Executive or controlling body, \Ljed much of the time of the IwTirhen the case against Griffin Griffin pleaded not "L to charges of printing andl ptibjSl documents which were allege Crown to be seditious. KfSccce for the P olice was « lven by JjS n Waterson, who said he underGriffin" was secretary and orof the Communist Party. Ac-; .jdir** thi Communist delegate from S»fc»la»a to Russia four years ago. gaW further evidence as to "IftL eoncesion with the Communist his evidence closing the ease jyltl Crown. ' ; - lie Defence. •H-fc# witness for the defence, ott r J — said his official ' Communist Party was publisher of the "Red g e h a d never seen Griffin or publishing the "Red iSim Accused had no connexion _;flj Ibt Vanguard Press except in conaccounts. fainTfox the Crown: Are you the Jotf *io » entirely responsible for SwMWorker"? —I am, and as I am l&MlBUit all I want to see in it is , lUHnift propaganda. l|synn a member of the Central Ex- J Mfaiteensedf —Teg. . IfijFis bis official positions—He has aii|lt is all departmentalised. The tfju is elected at each meeting, 'fit Griffin looked upon by Commu-New-Zealand as their leader ? - 3i hirtf bo leader. fil do they look upon as their Merit—The - Ceatxal Executive Jr Page: Hojr many are on ttf'lCMtnS* iExecuUvetrrOh, it fluctuSM ftom time to time. I suppose Sraqpurat WeV ZealandHhere would be dxmt twelve. Mr Page: In Wellington, I mean.—l Aoold say probably eight.' I would not If sure. Some of them are in gaol, v- How long has Griffin been a member •t Ike Central" Executive t—For some 6K. - ,T(m *aid he tjsed to be secretary of lie Communist Party. When did he >e tK&tf—lfl remember rightly iftliAad-of 2930. He was then prosewas made secretary, said he ceased to be secre..tayvn Hkrch, 1931. Griffin had not BM bm secretary. Accused in Box. Il'eiidwice, accused denied that he «&tiw printer or publisher of the 1 ' Red «Mar» or the strike pamphlet, 4 ?®Sfto Btrategy and Tactics." An MNbfciad been opened at the Bank of in the name of the Yanrat that account was later ibto the general account of the WMiwitt Party. When he signed jwjpit-in connexion with the "Red gayr?" he did bo at the request of Steßk,'*nd when he took "copy" jgTOaWiietype operator it was also at of Galbraith. He had not fyiMpanrihle- for the tenaney of the jrisee 1930, when he served a j®*« imprisonment for having sedijWt hteratnre. The document which "M*d in his possession and which the w*«.alleged wag a control scheme was Iffif? "''Emulative scribble" on his SPBrt» iwt" an official document of the PT Bn * t Partr- ; Itfe's Comment. using sentence, said the ice raised by Griffin was the registered printer the.documents in ques>t be convicted of printing them. That in his e correct interpretation though there might be many others might be was shown that they' he publication. On devidence he was clearly Jarty to the issuing of I the paper. Griffin had ee that he was actively every movement of the jy and in that he inary department,' which ' its"activities, and the Well represented its itted also that he had the articles which apBed Worker." vidence alone, it seems l has been shown to be issuing of the papar ready held to be sedisaid. "With opinions, "wise, this Court has no man is entitled to hold ie chooses, and within [ ed limits express those illy and in writing, but ty in the course of such cite others to lawless- ». These papers, as I in .from end to end -tn ncitement to resist-the action, and bring irowof the State and revolutionary vioimination of this type alculated to do a great think it is not unlikely destruction of property MTed in Wellington w€s 5 added that tliose wlio •try must obev its laws. ?apers that were sedito lawlessness and dis- < 1 Charges. charged with having ;er " in his ; oesessionj id Griffin with printing Jhe paper and the with gelling the

paper and having it in their possession/ fiobinson was charged .with P ri " tin | alld publishing the pamphlet '.'Strike strategy and Tactics." ■ He was formerly registered as the proprietor 01 the Red .Worker.'' Galbrai th' was charged .with printing and publishing two issues ol the "Bed Worker." Ho claimed to be the winter and publisher of the paper, and said McDowell waa employer only in the production of the paper. Ilog.m ■was charged with having the paper in hie possession.