COMMUNIST CHARGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 January 1923, Page 7

COMMUNIST CHARGE

AN AUCKLAND CASE. AUCKLAND, January =26. A charge of selling literature calculated . to encourage violence and lawlessness was . preferred against William Henry Sheffield, ■ at the Magistrate’s Court. Defendant was ■ stated to be a member of the executive of ! the New Zealand Comunist Party. . Counse for the prosecution said a con- .. stable attended a meeting of the party, to which defendant belonged. These j people, who held meetings at the Trades i Hall, appeared to be called the Communist . Party, which was something distinct from : the Labour Party, he was happy tosay. , A Constable purchased a book, “The A.B.C. of Communism,” which purported ; to be apopular exposition of the party s ■ principles, and had been written by two , Russians. It openly advocated violence, I on the part of. the proletariat, with the object of overthrowing the present system | of society. ; The constable, in evidence, said it was often mentioned at meetings that it was I illegal to sell such literature, but the mat- ’ ter was usually treated lightly. Sheffield, who was not represented by • counsel, denied in evidence that the con--5 stable obtained the book from him. He admitted buying literature at meetings, but 1 denied ever selling any. k The Magistrate said ha would read the t book, and deferred his decision.