BANNED SECT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23817, 19 November 1940, Page 6

BANNED SECT

•JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ONE SENT TO GAOL OTHER CASE ADJOURNED MAY RETURN TO AUSTRALIA [BV TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] CHRISTCHURCH. Monday Charged that on November 10 they participated in the activities of a subversive organisation known as Jehovah's Witnesses, Joseph George Matthew Prout, farm labourer, aged 23, and Brian Beresford Oliver, draughtsman and preacher, aged 25, pleaded not guilty when they appeared before Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court to-day. Prout was convicted and sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour. He refused to give an undertaking to cease his> activities The charge against Oliver, an Australian, was adjourned to November 26 to give him an opportunity to leave for Australia. Mr. W. R. Lascelles appeared for the accused. I Delivering Pamphlets Detective-Sergeant J. McClung, who prosecuted, said the organisation had been declared subversive. ; Constable D. Patterson said that on November 10 he went to Burnside : Road, Fendalton, and found the two accused conversing. One of them had a j pamphlet which witness recognised as belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses. He asked the men if they were associated with the organisation and they admitted it. He then asked them if they had further literature in their possession, and they both produced a quantity of small booklets and a larger book. Both the accused admitted delivering pamphlets in the vicinity of Burnside Road. Later, with Constable Grant, continued witness, ho searched a room at Papanui occupied by the accused, and found a further small quantity of literature. Tho accused admitted they knew the organisation was subversive and they had previously been warned by tho police. Both the accused were quite frank and seemed conscientious and sincere men, said witness to Mr. Lascelles. Statements Read in Court Constable I. J. Meiklejohn read statements made by Oliver and which Oliver refused to sign, but said they were true and correct. In the first statement Oliver said he was engaged solely in travelling round the country preaching the Gospel of the Witnesses. He was brought up in Australia as a Jehovah's Witness and had been in New Zealand for the past 18 months, spent mainly in Otngo. It was not their object to cause dissension in any community, the statement continued, but they realised they caused dissension among some sections of the community. He did not wish to reveal or give any indication of his future actions, but ho might attempt to go back to Sydney. Prout, in a statement which he refused to sign, admitted that he had been actively engaged in the work over tho past 11 months, said Sergeant K. Austin. Submissions by Counsel ! In his address Mr.. Lascelles quoted from a pamphlet the history and objects of the organisation. He explained that both the accused were sincere and ; conscientious men. Their statements were frank and revealed properly held conscientious beliefs. Tho organisation had not been suppressed in England or in Australia. Oliver was born in New South Wales and studied medicine for four years, later becoming a draughtsman, added Mr. Lascelles. Oliver had inherited his beliefs from his parents and had not lightly or quickly Taken them up on the spur of tho moment. Prout was a New Zealander. He was satisfied with the truth of the pamphlets and was so impressed that he became an adherent six years ago. Both accused had already been in prison for seven days. The Magistrate's View Detective-Sergeant McClung pointed out that the organisation had been declared subversive in Canada. Ho explained that these men had been carrying on knowing tho organisation was subversive and knowing they were defying the law when they had been asked to desist. He asked that tho penalty bo sufficiently deterrent to stop others from deliberately breaking the law. Tho magistrate said that if Prout was not prepared to give an undertaking to desist the action of the Court was clear. After conferring with Prout., Mr. Lascello? said that Prout could not)

conscientiously give such an undertaking. The magistrate then sentenced accused. CHARGES DISMISSED LITERATURE IN A CAMP PROSECUTIONS AT NAPIER [llY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] NAPIER, Monday "These young men declare that where the laws of man conflict with the laws of God they will disregard the laws of man." stated Detective Sergeant H. Nuttall in the Napier Police Court today during the hearing of charges against two young men alleged to be members of the banned sect known as Jehovah's Witnesses. The charges were dismissed. The accused were William Arthur Roberts, farm hand, and Edward Douglas Ridling. They were charged that at Hakowai they encouraged the activities of an organisation declared to be subversive, identified themselves with a subversive organisation and had its tliterature in their possession. Both pleaded not guilty. The detective sergeant said the young men's camp by the riverside was watched by the police. When the men returned and were questioned they admitted being members of the organisation and said they knew their organisation had been banned. They also admitted that 363 books found in camp and also 27 gramophone records, mostly speeches by Judge Rutherford, wero theirs. ' The magistrate/ Mr. J. Miller, said his; interpretation was .that the regulations were concerned with active organisations. If all the literaturo had been taken to tho camp with a view to -selling it and evading tho law he would he bound to convict, but he was not satisfied there was any evidence of intention to sell or distribute. He accordingly dismissed the cases. J