SNOOKS'SNAPPY SNOOKER

NZ Truth, 25 October 1924, Page 6

SNOOKS' SNAPPY SNOOKER

«. .... And His Militant Ma I Militarism Routed With Great Loss. The Hamilton Magistrate lately had an interesting time with the mother of a boy charged with evading military : training. The lady's name was Snook, Mrs. Snook. She attended with her husband to protect their treasured boy against the evils and the perils of this satanic business which the law socks to impose on all young men between the ages of 18 and 25 years. Mrs. Snook is an excitable little ■ woman of the garrulous type, and the ; flow of oratory with which she overwhelmed the Court, when her son's ; name was called, prompted the Magis- ■ trate to enjoin' her not to make t>o much noise. [ SHE IS PROUD OF IT. • Asked by the Magistrate if she was 1 Mrs. Snook, the little lady threw out ' her chest and elevated her chin as she 1 folded her arms on her bosom and replied with a dignified flefiance: 1 "Yes, and I'm proud to be Mrs. • .Snook" — a condition of things which, by the way, nobody had questioned or ' probably would have cared to dispute. The announcement of her pride' m ■ her marital appellation was followed by a vituperative denunciation of ; militarism m general and the New | Zealand laws which caused Young men j to undergo military training, m particular. She 'wound up with the an- \ nouncement that it was "God's work which her son did, not man's." The husband, who until this had re- ; mained obscure m the background, ' now cable forward to assist his freespoken wife m the defence. He was, . however, of a somewhat calriier mien , than hfs spouse, and declared that his . son had not registered "on principle." Mrs. Snook's assertive nature would not permit her to remain silent m the background, however, arid every • now [ and then, during the Magistrate's interrogation of her husband, she "put j m her spoke" until his Worship had to . ask her to keep eiuiet; remarking that

f he was getting on very nicely with her husband. 5 Somewhat taken aback at the 1 Magisterial tone, the lady, with an L indignant shake of her head, retired a Eew feet, but nature insisted upon as- ! serting itself, and m a few seconds she 1 was back agairi at hier husband's side 1 prompting him m his answers. - A constable thereupon stepped for* ' ward and endeavored to lead the lady) back, but Mrs. Snook, having formed an early attachment for Mr. Snook, refused to be parted from him by the ' law; and the constable, with an appealing look towards the Magistrate, announced, "she is hanging on to his , arm." ; WE MUSN'T FIGHT. I Asked what religion he was, Snook i declared that he was a Baptist. r ; His Worship: But other Baptists ie- ' gister. i Snook: We can't help that. It's m , the Bible that we musn't fight. >' The subject of the prosecution had i not, up till now, put m an appearance, which fact prompted the Magistrate i to ', ask where he was, On being informed that the youth r was not present, his Worship decided i to adjourn the case for a -short time to : enable him to be" produced. , Eventually young Snook, Percy I Frank by name, came along. The lad , was .obviously a chip off the old block. • He declared emphatically that he was l not going to drill, as all things" milii tary were opposed to his religious : beliefs. The irrepressible Mrs. Snook, ignor- ' ing the Magistrate's injunction, had < by shifty measures edged her way ; towards her son, when the exasperat- ! Ed Magistrate ordered her back to the body of the Court. Mrs. Snook, however, refused to s budge, and the services of a constable i had to be requisitioned to compel obedience. His Worship, to defendant: Well, . Snook, you will have to register or go I to gaol. When you are registered and : desire exemption, you can apply' for it. Snook (defiantly): I don't care, I'm . not going to register. L Senior Sergeant Matthew: He evil dently has registered without realising . it. We have his signature here, given i after he received his summons, i His Worship fined defendant £1 and . costs; and, with sniffs m the air and contempt for the law, the indignant Snook family beat a retreat.