CENSORSHIP EVADED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16338, 19 September 1916, Page 8

CENSORSHIP EVADED.

ANTI-MILITARY EFFORTS.

THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT.

As- unusual case came before Mr. H. W. Bishop, S.M., at Christchurch last week, when a charge of attempting to evade the censor was preferred against Henry W. Reynolds. Counsel for the prosecution said tho information was laid under the War Regulations Act, 1914. Defendant was a bootmaker in Cliristcliurch, and he had a letter in his window with a note attached to the effect that all his correspondence was opened and read by the military authorities, and that the letter exhibited had been detained for 19 days. He was therefore evidently aware that his. correspondence was under censorship. A letter, which the authorities were convinced was in the handwriting of the defendant, came into the hands of the censor. It was addressed to the town clerk, Runanga, Greymouth, enclosing a sealed envelope, addressed to a Mr. Haldane, Runanga, and asking the town clerk to hand the enclosure to Mr. Haldane. The censor opened the enclosed letter, and found that it contained reference to certain Socialistic literature, of which a list was enclosed. The offence of attempting to evade the censor was one of an extremely grave character. Tho defendant did not deny the authorship of the letters. He said he did not intend any attempt to get literature past the censor. His only reason for writing to the town clerk at llunanga, asking him to hand on the other letter was to save delay in its transmission, as he thought it might be detained by the military authorities as the previous letter had been. The literature, referred to in the letter to Mr. Haldane, was published by the Fabian Society, and had all been published before the war. "The literature is not the question," said Mr. Bishop. "If you choose to saturate the country with Socialistic literature, and people have got time to read it, I don't care. The question is trying to evade the censor. You say you thought your letter _ might be detained. These are special times, and private considerations are of no concern whatever. The concerns of individuals are sunk absolutely t and the interests of the State are above all other considerations. That is the attitude I intend to enforce very strictly in this Court." It was pointed out that the defendant had previously been fined £50 for publishing literature likely to interfere with recruiting, and the defendant assured His Worship that he had discontinued his previous practices. His Worship continued that the defendant, in his anti-military endeavours, had evidently been persuaded that he was doing a service to the country. In His l Worship's opinion he was doing a great ; disservice. No man who behaved in such a manner was worthy to be called a man. Defendant would be sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labqur.