PROHIBITED PUBLICATION

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 129, 31 May 1917, Page 8

PROHIBITED PUBLICATION

A PROSEOtmON.

This afternoon, in the Magistrate's Court, the Gordon and Gotch Proprietary, Ltd., was charged with having in possession for sale a certain prohibited publication entitled: "The International Socialist Review." Mr. L. G. Reid, S.M., was on the Bench. . Mr. P. S. K. Macassey appeared for the Crown,' and Mr. T: S. Weston for the defendant firm.

A plea of guilty was entered. - Mr. Macassey explained that the information' was laid under the War Regulations dealing with the prohibition of certain publications. The facts in the present case were that the police made a search of.defendant's premises and took possession of certain invoices. They found that during the past 18 months 114 copies of the International-Socialist Review had' been brought into :Ne\v Zealand by Gordon and Gotch. Counsel was quite prepared to accept the state-, ment that the breach was committed in ignorance. He pointed out, however, that the prohibition of this book was advertised in the newspapers. \ , Mr. Macassey added that Gordon and Gotch were very frank, and gave every assistance to the police. :

Mr. Weston pointed out that, while this panfcicular publication-. ; was ; prohibited under the Wai .Regulations, it was not prohibited under the Customs regulations. It was quite legal to import it into New Zealand, i but it was not legal to sell it or have it in one's possession. Gordon and Gotoh had submitted all their invoices to the Customs i Department,' but ■no restrictions had been placed on this particular publication. The breach had been committed entirely in ignorance, and he asked that it be treated as merely a technical offence. The Magistrate said it was not a case for a heavy penalty and fined the defendant 40s with costs.