SEDITIOUS BOOKS FOUND

Taranaki Daily News, 22 November 1929, Page 8

SEDITIOUS BOOKS FOUND

WELLINGTON MEN FINED £5O OFFICERS OF COMMUNIST PARTY. ‘WRITINGS ADVOCATED VIOLENCE.’ By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Nov. 21.. In a written judgment Mr. E. Page, S.M., has convicted four men, Richard Griffen, Arthur F. Marshall, Gordon E. ; Munro, and William Murphy, for having in their possession for sale or distribution certain books or pamphlets advocating violence, or expressing seditious intention contrary to the War Regulations Continuance Act (1820). Each was fined £5O, in default imprisonment for three months. Marshall was editor of the Red Worker, published by a Communist organisation with offices in Vivian Street, Munro was literary secretary of th© organisation, Griffen leader of the movement and lessee of the premises, and Murphy the ex-literary secretary. Each is an active officer of the Communist organisation. In the course of his judgment, Mr. Page said he thought the leachings carried out by the organisation were pernicious and the literature was also pernicious. Making the fullest allowance for the traditional freedom of speech and writing it seemed abundantly clear that the books advocated violence and expressed a seditious intention.