POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 18628, 8 May 1924, Page 1

POLICE COURT

Thursday, May 8. (Before Mr J. R. Barthdlomew, S.M.) ■PROHIBITED IMMIGRANTS. Abldool Rockmon Allan iMeah and Tera Moah.B'fwnaollila, (two Indian seamen, ww« charged ■ Rh deserting from the ship City of F't . ‘.'Mid also ■with entering New Zealand without a permit, Wing prohibited immigrants.—Ora tire application of Seniorsergeauit Mathieson the first charge rv-as with drawn, and .the charge under the Immigration Restriction Aot was proceeded with. Mrs A. J. P. Driver, a returned missionary, acted as interpreter, and pad that the men knew they should) not have left the sliip Wfltlkbuit permission. They were willing to go back to India or anywhere, but by another boat, as tho captain of the sliip bad not been kind to them. They did not understand the meaning of Supreme Court, and it was “the will” of them that Dio magistrate deal with them. James MTmtosh, Controller of Customs, said that the two men wore member*! ox the crew of the City of Florence, and to land in 'Hew Zealand they should have applied for a permit flora the Mluarter of Customs, hut that was not done. When the ship .roll was called the two men were mossing, and they were aubsecpicnWy found by the police in, the city. The object of the present proceedings was to get the men deported. Hb understood that the oieslfc boat, the City of Binmirng■ham, Was due in. four or five weeks’ time. The Magiistra',: (said tiro only thing to do was lti,i imprison the men till 1 the boat arrived, They would fee convidted ’ and sciDtewed ; ' Vhrco nuy'K imprisonment without" ‘iifii.xl labor. '' ' lie. drew Mr MTntosh's notice to the awkward wording of The Aot, which provided for a .sentence of imprisonment for one year or ■a fine of £IOO. A souton.ee of over three montOis’ imprisonment gave tOio right of trial by jury, and) in cases of desorting aliens it was essential! that the oases be dealt with summarily. 'Moreover, ss la this instance, natives did not understand the meaning of a Supreme Court trial. Mrs Driver refused 'to (accept (the interpreter's fee, and Said she would give it to the Sailors’ Resit Home. DRUHKJIHHESS. A first offender for drunkenness was fined the.'nmount of Ids halvli (20s), with the alternative of forty-eight hours' imprisonment.