SEDITIOUS LITERATURE

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1933, Page 9

SEDITIOUS LITERATURE

PENALTY FOR DISTRIBUTION AUCKLAND COMMUNIST FINED, ‘•SOME OF MATTER RIDICULOUS.” . EFFECT ON CERTAIN CLASS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Lewis Williams, aged 29, a canvasser, was to-day fined £3, in default a month’s imprisonment, for having seditious literature in his possession. Zhe prosecution was brought under the war regulations.. The books found ~in Williams’ possession were “Strike Strategy and Tactics,” “Lessons of Industrial Struggles,” and: “Communism; the Programme of the Third Internationale.” The acting-Crown Prosecutor read inflammatory passages from the booklets, one of which, he said, was the strongest of the kind he had seen. Detective Nalder said the booklets were found in a suitcase. He told Williams he had been distributing a lot of books lately, and Williams replied: “Someone has to do it. I have to do my job.” Counsel said Williams, who frankly admitted membership of the Communist Party, was not the author or printer of the booklets.

The magistrate, Mr. McKean, said Williams tacitly admitted he was distributing the booklets. Some passages in the books appealed to him as funny. The Crown Prosecutor said some of the stuff was ridiculous, but it was read by a class of people who were not noted for intelligence. Mr. McKean: I can understand literature of this kind during a war period would be serious. Do you regard this as a serious matter?

The Crown prosecutor replied that the booklets were distributed among a class of people who were apparently easily led.

When the magistrate imposed the fine counsel said Williams could not pay it, and the magistrate fixed the alternative at one month’s imprisonment. Subsequently Williams’ counsel said Williams elected to go to gaol.