EJECTED FROM A SHOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14931, 2 March 1912, Page 7

EJECTED FROM A SHOW.

ANTI-MILITARIST'S CLAIM.

DISMISSED BY THE MAGISTRATE. [BT TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Christchtjrch, ■• Friday. ''■-. Judgment was given to-day by Mr. Bailoy, S.M., in the case in which the National Peace Council sued the Canterbury A. and P. Association for £25 damages for breach j of contract, £25 for trespass of goods, j and costs. The action arose out of the ejection : of people distributing anti-mili-tary literature, at the Metropolitan Show, last November. In giving judgment for the defendants, the magistrate stated that the show grounds were private property, and a contract made with the plaintiff copld not be held to be anything more than a license to enter. '*-. "Without expressing any opinion of my own as to whether the literature is objectionable," continued His ; Worship, " but merely to show that the action of the committee does not appear.to my mind to have been arbitrary,: it is s only necessary to point out that the association was carrying out a programme of military events on that afternoon, and it certainly seemed illogical to permit anti-militarist literature—tq certain portions of which very strong objection might be taken by some persons — to be disseminated amongst the crowd. In consequence of a decision arrived at by tha committee, the plaintiffs were asked to desist from distributI ing the literature, and take down the j placard. This they refused to do. In i doing so the plaintiffs wore guilty of mis-: behaviour, and were legally removed." ' [ Judgment was for the defendants. . On the application of defendant's counsel, costs . were awarded the defendants.