SOLICITOR AND WORD

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 April 1932, Page 12

SOLICITOR AND WORD

BENCH CRITICISE ARREST. LONDON, February 29/ A word which appears ixx Mi- Ben xiard Shaw’s “Pygmalion” and the utterance of which from the stage in that play many years ago roused a nuhlizi nnnl-nmmiicnr urao ninnfinnorl ill

public controversy, was mentioned m Stratford Police-court on Saturday. Mi* P. B. Shawan, defending a. ’bus conductor, who had been arrested on a charge of using insulting behaviour at Dagenham, said that the word complained of by the police was in common use nowadays to give emphasis. He (Mr Shawan) had used the word, and he would not. say that he would not use it again in moments of stress. Defendant was Henry Robert Bates, 34, of Hackford-road, Brixton. Constable Lee said that a ’bus in charge of Bates was seen to be overloaded, and witness took particulars. Defendant sdid to him, “You want a b job. I saw a ‘General’ ’bus pass me, with eighteen standing. You shut your b eye to that.” Bates refused to go away, added witness, and was arrested. Mr H. Heath, chairman, said the Bench were of opinion that this man should nevei’ have been arrested. He : was a public servant, and his number : could have been taken. It was not < reasonable to'take him while on duty i and march him down the street like a 1 felon 1 under arrest. On the other 1 hand, Bates should not have used the j words alleged. He should control ’ words of a kind that were irritating. He would be discharged.