UNREGISTERED ALIENS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16166, 21 March 1918, Page 2

UNREGISTERED ALIENS.

FIRST LOCAL PROSECUTION. UNNATURALISED AUSTRIAN j FINED. J i The first Christchurch prosecution under the Registration of Aliens Act, 1917, took pJacc at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr T. A. 33. Bailey, S.M., when Martino Andrew Zenkovich (Mr Donnelly), an unnatnralised Austrian, was charged with failing to register as required by the Act. Mr Donnelly said that when the Act was passed aliens were given 28 days in which to register. However, the accused was totally ignorant of the Act. He had been in New Zealand for about 12 years, during which time he had gone under the name of George Albert Baker, suppressing his "rather unpronounceable proper name. Ho had, however never attempted to disgnise his real identity, and in his registration papers had given both names. He had registered immediately the police told him lie had to <do so. Senior-Sergeant Cnmming said that all other aliens, even Chinamen who could not read or write English, had come forward and registered. The accused was an educated man, and must have known it was his duty to register. The period of twenty-eight days for registration had been suspended. in fact, it was practically in suspensjon now, but' it was absolutely imperative that all aliens should register. The police cljd not wish for a vindictive penalty, but wished to advertise the fact that in future all aliens, no matter what their nationality might be, who failed to register would be prosecuted. A fine of 20s and costs was inflicted.