SUBSTANTIAL FINES

Evening Star, Issue 23863, 18 April 1941, Page 4

SUBSTANTIAL FINES

TALK OF SKIPPING MOVEMENTS RESPONSIBLE MEN’S INDISCRETIONS SHARP COMMENT FROM BENCH [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, April 18. “ Ono of the worst disasters experienced iu the last war carao through the dissemination of information through casual conversation,” said the magistrate (Mr Goulding), in pointing out the seriousness of the charge admitted by James Lorraine Rogers, a clerk, and Charles Cookburn Miles, a company secretary. Roth pleaded guilty to communicating, in a manner likely to prejudice the public safety, information in respect to the movements of one of His Majesty’s ships. Heavy fines were imposed—Rogers £3O and Miles £2O. An application was made for suppression of the names. Mr Goulding pointed out that in the last war if an officer made a serious mistake of a similar kind he had to pay the penalty. Ho was not prepared to suppress the names. It was not a case of the communication of something in the nature of rumour. Rumours were dangerous and were one of the weapons used by the enemy to create doubt and disaffection among the public, but the tycp of offence hero was the communication of what he would call actual information concerning the movements of shipping. It was a case in whiqli responsible men. had spoken with knowledge of the movement of shipping, and ho thought that a very serious matter. The public were excluded during the hearing of the case. Detective-sergeant M'Lcnnan said that ono evening Miles, at Rogers’s house, discussed the destination and subsequent movements of a certain troopship. Later Rogers was in a public hotel bar and was overheard to discuss openly what he had been told by Miles. The Magistrate: I suppose the seriousness of this offence was that the information was in the nature of the destination of the vessel p Detective-sergeant M'Lennan; It was a correct deserpition of the movements of the ship-

Doctors, nurses, members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade, suid members of the Voluntary Aid Division are advised that a lay-out of the dressings and equipment which will be available in a small dressing station under the emergency precautions scheme is now on view in the visiting staff room at the Dunedin Public Hospital. Notifications of infectious diseases in the Otago-Southland health district for the week ending to-day comprise one ease of liydatids and one case of tuberculosis in Otago, and one case of erysipelas in Southland. The fifth and final appraisement of the local wool season commenced today, approximately 5,500 bales being put up by the Dunedin Stock Agents and Woolbrokers’ Association. The offering consists largely of straggler wool and late-shorn back-country clips, but there is a percentage of good crossbreds and half-breds on offer.

A suggestion that the Government should be urged to intern all aliens of enemy birth or origin and place them at work on the development of waste lands and other necessary work of a progressive nature, is contained in a remit by the Auckland Beturned Soldiers’ Association to be placed before the meeting of the Dominion council to be held at Wellington on May 28. Several remits deal with the need for some compensation for the increased cost of living. It is suggested that various pensions and allowances should he increased by 25 per cent. Another remit asks that the allowable maximum of remittances that may be forwarded to members of overseas forces should ho increased to £SO a year, and that these should be free of “ pegged exchange.” The view that the Government should be requested to.place all overseas canteens under the full control of the military command in the various districts is expressed in another remit. The Dominion executive committee is to be asked to negotiate with the Government for an adequate loan scheme to enable former members of the Second Now Zealand Kxpeditionary Force to purchase or build houses. To-day was Poppy Day. and from 7 a.m. hundreds of enthusiastic sellers wore stationed on the streets or visited houses and business promises. About midday it was stated that sales were exceptionally good this year, and that hopes were then being entertained for a record collection. Certainly there were few persons to be seen abroad without a poppy pinned to their eoats. The excellent response which usually accompanies the Poppy Day appeal may be due in part to tbe number of diligent sellers engaged and in part to tbe nature of the appeal; or it may be tbe combination of the two influences. If this year’s returns prove a record it may bo because people think that by purchasing a poppy they are paying some tribute to the boys at present looked in the life and death struggle in Greece,

The Pacific Starr-Bowkott 'Building Society will dispose of £I,OOO by ballot in No. 8 grown and £I.OOO by sale in No. 9 group on Tuesday nest. The official opening practice of the Dunedin Football Club will bo held at the Caledonian Ground to-morrow.