“RED WORKER” CASE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 153, 14 June 1932, Page 8

“RED WORKER” CASE

SEDITIOUS LITERATURE FOUR MEN CONVICTED. MAGISTRATE’S COMMENTS. Wellington, June 13. For the parts they played m the dissemination of Communist literature which, in the opinion of the Bench, was calculated to do a great amount of harm, Richard Francis Griffin, Alexander Galbraith and John Joseph Robinson were each sentenced to reformative detention for a period not exceeding three years by Mr E. Page, S.M., in the Police Court to-day. William Alexander George Lockhart was sent to gaol for three months, Leslie Raymond McDowell and Edward Hogan were each convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within two years. The charges arose out of the publication and distribution of the “Red Worker” and a pamphlet entitled. “Strike Strategy and Tactics."

The Magistrate, in passing sentence, said that the substantial defence raised by Griffin was that, not being tho registered printer and publisher of the documents in question, he should not be convicted for printing and publishing them. That, in his view, was not tho correct interpretation ot the law. Although there might be one chief actor, many others might be convicted if it was shown that thev were parties to the publication. CLEARLY PARTY TO ISSDE. On defendant’s own evidence ho was clearly shown to be a party to the issuing ot the pamphlet and paper. Griffin had stated in evidence that be was actively concerned with every movement of the Communist Party, and in that he included the literary department, which was a branch of its activities and the publications of which represented its views. He had admitted also that ho had written seme of the articles which appeared in tho “Red Worker”. “Taking his evidence alone it seems clear that Griffin has been shown to be a party to the issuing of the paper, which I have already held to be seditious,” the Magistrate said. “With opinions political or otherwise this Court has no concern. Every man is entitled to hold what opinions he chooses and, within certain well-defined limits, express those opinions both orally and in writing; but he is not at liberty in the course of such expression to incite others to lawlcssless and violence.

INCITEMENT FROM END TO END. “These papers, as 1 road them, contain from end to end an appeal and. incitement to resist the law by militant mass action and bring about the overthrow of the State and the constitution by revolutionary violence. The dissemination of this type of literature is calculated to do a great deal of harm. “I think it not unlikely that the wanton destruction of property that recently occurred in Wellington was traceable to this source.” The Magistrate added that those who lived in this country must obey its laws. Tho publication of papers that were seditious or incited to lawlessness or disorder must cease. Lockhart was charged with having a “Red Worker” in his possession, and McDowell and Griffin with printing and publishing the paper and pamphlet. Robinson was charged with printing and publishing the pamphlet "Strike Strategy and Tactics.” He was formerly registered as proprietor of the “Red Worker.” Galbraith was charged with printing and publishing two issues of the “Red Worker.” He claimed to be printer and publisher of the paper and F’d th McDowall was only employed in the production of the paper. Hogan was charged with having the paper in his possession. »