CARPENTER, FINED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 96, 22 March 1941, Page 7

CARPENTER, FINED.

INFORMATION GIVEN. SEQUEL TO CONVERSATION. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 21. Reserved decision in the case in which Francis Allan Townsend, aged 37, a carpenter, was charged with a breach of the Censorship and Publicity Emergency Regulations was given by Mr Levie.n, S.M., to-day. Defendant was charged that on January 4 in Palmerston North, in a manner I likely to prejudice public safety, he published information which might be useful to the enemy; The case was the first of its kind in New Zealand and the Court was cleared at the hearing last Friday. Evidence was given that defendant had been overheard speaking about confidential defence work on which he was engaged. The complaint was made by a military officer who happened to be in a barber's saloon when defendant spoke about his work. A police witness said there was no suggestion that defendant was not a loyal British v "In view of the regulations it is impossible for me to enlarge on the matter, but I have come to the conclusion that defendant must be convicted," Mr Levien said. "I would draw attention to the fact that a wide net has been set under these regulations concerning the giving of information which would or might be directly or indirectly useful to a State with which His Majesty is at war." The wide ambit of the regulations was something to which he would like to draw public attention. They dealt specifically with the publishing of all sorts of details and the public would be well advised to consider them closely. "Defendant had been warned not to disclose the snecial work he was on," the Magistrate added. "He did in fact disclose information which might have been useful to a State with which His Majesty was at war. However, this is the first prosecution of its kind and I will take that into consideration." > Defendant was convicted and fined £5 with costs.