DEFAULTER SENT TO PRISON
FAILURE TO ATTEND HOME
GUARD PARADES
(P.A.) AUCKLAND, Nov. 30. Five charges of failing to attend Home Guard parades were preferred against Hedley Alexander Keith Stewart, before Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M. He pleaded not guilty. The defendant said that when he was forced to join the Home Guard he had to fill in an application form stating that he had made application to join. He crossed out the word “application,” as he was not applying. A long letter which he had written to the Hon. R. Semple was read by the defendant while on oath. In the letter he protested against "the loss of the people’s freedom in a British country such as New Zealand, where the secret police or security organisation is responsible not to the military authorities but to a political head.”
“The reason why I let you go through that long letter was that 1 was undecided whether I should send you to see a psychiatrist,” said the Magistrate. “I have come to the conclusion that you are a muck-raker. You are taking this opportunity of putting out views not only subversive but scandalous.’’ On the first charge he was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment, and on the other charge he was convicted and discharged.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23811, 3 December 1942, Page 3
Word Count
213DEFAULTER SENT TO PRISON Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23811, 3 December 1942, Page 3
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