MR. UPTON SINCLAIR. A TERM IN GAOL FOR BREAKING THE "BLUE LAWS."

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 63, 12 September 1911, Page 8

MR. UPTON SINCLAIR. A TERM IN GAOL FOR BREAKING THE "BLUE LAWS."

The old puritanical ordinances, nicknamed the "'Blue La-ws" because of the j general melancholy they create by fori bidding all manner of amusements on the Sabbath, were invoked at Wilmington, Delaware, with the result that Mr. j Upton Sinclair, tho Socialist author, and ! nine members of the "Single-tax ColI ony," of which he is chief, were sent j to gaol (writes the N.Y. correspondent jof a London paper)? The oftettce of which the reformers were convicted lay ; in the fact that on Sunday they played i tsnnie and golf in the grounds of their settlement •& Arden, Delaware, j The scene ia Court when Mr. Sinclair I and his fraternity were haled before the Magistrate was replete with humour, The prosecutor, Mr. George Brown, was aji "Anarchist philosopher^' who was previously sentenced to five days' imprisottmenfc for disturbing a single-tax meeting at which Mr. Sinclair presided. Mr. Brown's object was admittedly revenge* Ho tol<l the Magistrate that as he languished in 'gaol the Sabbath peace wn« destroyed by the noiso tire defendants made over tfertnis and goy. "They Bhouted and yelled unconscionably," the Anarchist explained,^ "and convinced me that the Blue Laws are justified." Mr. Sinclair appeared with Mr. Don Stephens, tho millionaire founder of the colony, on one side, Mr. Fred Stoinlifte, an ice cream vendor, on the other side of him,- while seven, profespors and lawyers, who are also memberls of the settlement, brought up tho rear. All refused to pay the fine of 16s imposed by the Magistrate, and were consequently sentenced to eighteen hours imprisonment. A double terms of thirty-six hours was inflicted on Mr. Steinline, who was convicted of selling ice cream to his brother members. Before beginning his term in gaol, Mr. Sinclair treated a constable and all the prisoners to ice cream. As he is a vegetarian he decided nob to cab the prieon fare. The prison aubhorities refused to grant the violators of the Sunday laws any privileges, wibh the result that Mr. Sinclair fasted for thirbyeix hours. He and the other prisoners were compelled to bake a bath, don prison clothes, and break stones. They w&re rtsfoased late tlfe next afbernoon, when Mr. Sinclair announced his intention of prosecuting several judges and lawyers, as well as the Public Prosecutor, whom, he says, he recently observed playing tennis at a counbry club on a Sabbabh morning. Tho continued dry weather is frustrating the efforts of farmers to get on with the sowing of grain (reports tho Manawatu Standard). There is an' abundance of moisture below, but the surface has dried off for an inch or ,«o, and the sowing of seed might result in its , lying in the ground for an irfdefinile ! period without, germinating. A couple j of hours' good rain would put. the fnruier ill good heart, and the dairy ftwmer would also reap o. dirpct advantage from the gra*<s coming away. ' On Friday riight, next Mr. T. M. Wilfdrd, M.P., will flddi'Mi a meeting in the Upper Ilutfc Town Hall 6n the deviation of the railway via Akatarawa, with a view to relieving tho existing line toJohn■sonville and Paekakariki. The chairman and members of tha Hufct County Council and the Mayor of Lower Hutt are invited to be present. The chairman of the Upper Hutt Town Boatd will preside. Messrs. Mark Day and Co., of Sydney, have taken over Messrs. Archer and Co. * Lower Cuba-street shop, and will commence jutalg;jg Thursday.. ~ -•<