Wrongful Enrolment.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 77, 25 November 1922, Page 5

Wrongful Enrolment.

CASES AT AUCKLAND. Per Proas Association. Auckland, November 24, Several case's arising from breaches of the Legislature Act in connection with claims for enrolment were heard in the Police Court. Five seamen wore charged with having knowingly and wilfully made ‘false statements, and there were five charges agdinst Jame s Thomas Kyle, assistant secretary'of the Auckland Seamen’s Union, who was the author* iaed agent of different registrars, of having wilfully misled the registrar. Three trimmers on trawlers wore charged with having falsely declared they had resided in New Zealand for 12 months.

The defendants gave evidence that forms were handed to thorn by Kyle, who asked them to sign them. Thinking the ships were connected with union matters, they signed without reading the papers. They were not asked questions on the forms.

The Informations were dismissed. The magistrate also dismissed charges against two seamen. One registered and thou went to sea, and registered in another district. The other was a 'Belgian, who mlsundeistood the term naturalisation. As regards the charges against. Kyle, the, magistrate gave him the benefit of the doubt in respect of the Belgian. and two charges were remanded. In respect to the case of the seaman who changed his residence, the magistrate said he did not believe the defendant believed the man was entitled to count as residence the time spent at sea.

In regard to the case of one of the trawler’s crew, the defendant said he mistook the man for another whom he had known for years and about whom he could have answered all the questions. The magistrate said he could not accept the explanation, and defendant was lined £lO on each of two charges on which convictions were entered.