PICTURES ON SUNDAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18591, 27 June 1922, Page 2

PICTURES ON SUNDAY

Art EFFECTIVE DETERRENT.

MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE FINED.

CPib United Paras Association.) GREYMOUTH, June 26.

Mr Meldrum, S.M., to-day gave his reserved judgment in the charges brought by the police against Henry Hawkins (pianist), Henry Jones (operator), and Wm. Steel (member of the audience) for aiding and abetting Arthur Beban, manager of the Peerless Pictures, in keeping open the Town Hall for the purpose of showing Sunday pictures. Beban has been convicted and fined the maximum penalty (£1) on several occasions for showing Sunday pictures. In the course of his judgment Mr Meldrum said that Beban had made light of the payment of fines for breaches of the Act, and it was evident that this was due to the inducement offered by the support of the public. In his opinion, people who offered an inducement to Beban to keep open his show aided and abetted Beban, and were therefore liable. Steel would be convicted and ordered to pay costs. Jones and Hawkins both knew Beban was committing an offence, and they were liable for aiding and abetting him. They, too, would be convicted, but the penalty would be nominal, as the case was merely a test one. They were ordered to pay costs. •