ALLEGED CONTEMPT

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 June 1942, Page 2

ALLEGED CONTEMPT

ARBITRATION COURT CASE.

WELLINGTON, June 4 The publisher of the “Dominion newspaper was charged in the Arbitration Court to-day with contempt of Court, on the ground that publw cation of a certain article constituted unjustifiable comment on proceedings pending before the Arbitration Court. The information was brought by Frederick Daniel Cornwell, secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. The defendant pleaded not guilty, and decision was reserved. Mr T. P. Cleary, for the informant, said the case arose from the publication on March 4 of an article which stated: “Applications to the Arbitration Court for increased wages are advanced on the ground that the cost of living has increased, and that wages must keep, pace with that movement. It might be just as well to recognise frankly that it cannot be done.” It was suggested that tne article had a specific reference to a case before the Court at the time. This was denied by counsel for the defence (Mr G. G. C. Watson), who said the article was written immediately after an address broadcast by the Leader of the Opposition, and was by way of comment on that. It was intended to appear the day before, but space prevented that, and it was only a coincidence that it appeared in the same issue as a report of proceedings before the Court. He assured the Court that there was a complete absence of any intention to embarrass the Court. Mr Justice Tyndall remarked that at one stage his mind was open as to whether it was not obstruction rather than contempt. Only once before in the last 42 years had a similar case been brought before the Court.