GAOL FOR WOMAN

Evening Star, Issue 23882, 12 May 1941, Page 6

GAOL FOR WOMAN

ANOTHER PROHIBITED MEETING AVOWED PURPOSE ANTI-WAR t [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, May 12. Stating that he did not intend to consider the sex of the accused and that she must be treated as any other person who set herself above the law, the magistrate, Mr Stout, sentenced Constance May Jones (22), a clerk, to three months on a charge of obstructing Superintendent Lopdell in the lawful execution of his duty at a Christian Pacifist meeting in Manners street on Friday night. Superintendent Lopdell said Barrington was the secretary of the Christian Pacifist Society, which made the boast in the Supreme Court the other day that the next speaker would be a woman. Consequently on Friday night quite an expectant crowd gathered, some apparently out for a bit of fun. She commenced to speak, and he prohibited the meeting. But she refused to cease, and was arrested. The reason for the prohibition in the first instance was because of an intimation he received from Barrington setting forth as one of the meeting’s purposes that New Zealand should withdraw from the war at once and the assistance of 1 all people should be enlisted to that end. As that purpose was to his mind subversive, and he feared subversive propaganda at the meetings, and that public disorder might result, he decided that the mooting under the auspices of the society should be prohibited. Defendant pointed out that eight men previously before the court were all charged with conducting or attempting to conduct a prohibited meeting. Superintendent Lopdell said they had decided to be as considerate to her as they possibly could. The charge was a matter for himself and the authorities.