NEW GUARD LEADER.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 11 March 1932, Page 11

NEW GUARD LEADER.

APPEAL UPHELD. JUDGE ON INSULTING LANGUAGE. (riUTED PHESS ASSOCIATION —BY ELSCTSIO TELEGRAPH— COPYKIGHT.) (Received March 10th, 10.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 10. In delivering judgment on the appeal of Colonel Eric Campbell (Leader of tlie New Guard), who sought a writ of prohibition directed to the Magistrate (Mr Laidlaw), and Police-Sergeant A. Lendrum, against the enforcement of the Magistrate's decision in the Lower Court imposing a fine of £2 with costs Bs, for using insulting language about the Premier (Mr J. T. Lang), Mr Justice Street, sitting in Chambers, ruled it was not necessary fox him to decide- whether the words complained of were insulting. It was common ground that if they were insulting they were insulting to one individual only, and the one individual in respect of whom they were insulting was not present when Campbell used the words. Mr Justice Street held that the case was governed by a decision of the State. Full Court, in 1918 (ex-parte Brccn, 18, State Law Reports). In that case the words complained of were used at a meeting in a public street and referred to a largo number of women workers carrying out war duties. The Chief Justice dealt fully on that occasion with the meaning of the word "insulting" as used in the Vagrancy Act. He laid down the law as follows: "I cannot regard the enactment going further than providing a penalty for those who violate public order by language calculated to hurt the personal feelings of individuals whether the words are addressed directly to themselves or used in their hearing or in regard to their own character or persons closely associated with them." Mr Justice Street addod that the Magistrate (Mr Laidlaw) had relied on a subsequent decision in the case of Wragge versus Prit- ] chard (State Law Reports 279, 1930), where the words were uttered in a public street, but plaintiff was not prosent and did not hoar them. But they were heard by bystanders and two friends. The 1 Full Court's decision in this instance supported Mr Laidlaw's finding, but Mr Justice Street preferred to think I that the decision in regard to Breen should have been applied to Campbell's case, particularly as the High Court had refused leave to appeal against it. Therofore the Campbell appeal would be uphold and the order for prohibition made absolute. BROADCASTING. COMMONWEALTH BILL. NEWSPAPER PROPRIETORS PROTEST. CANBERRA, March 10. J A Bill for the control of broadcasting, introduced in the Bouse of Representatives,. sets up a Commission of five, including a chairman with "h salary of £SOO a year. Tlie Commission will bo empowered to appoint their own general manager and other staff, and be responsible for all aspects of the broadcasting of programmes, the establishment of agencies for the collection of suitable news, permitting the publication of magazines, and also the development of local talent and, later, the organisation of a national orchestra. A Melbourne message reports: The Newspaper Proprietors' Conference has telegraphed to Mr J. A. Lyons (Prime Minister) protesting against provision in the Broadcasting BUI permitting the acceptance ot advertising matter by A class stations, contending that advertisements should not bo accepted by stations subsidised with public money. WAGE CUT. UNIONS SEEK RESTORATION COMMENT BY JUDGE. MELBOURNE, March 10. Replying to argument by the representative of 37 unions seeking the restoration of the 10 per cent, wage cut Chief Judge Detheridge, of the Federal Arbitration Court, said the reduction of the standard of wages in Australia was not brought about by the Court, but by the fall of national wealth. The Court could not reform the whole world, which was constituted of warring economic elements each producing wnat it was fitted to produce, and also striving to produce what it was unfitted for. The folly of man in regard to tariffs had resulted in a grossly unscientific method of distribution of the world's production. Thus the world was at fault. TRANSPORT BILL PASSED. AN ALL-NIGHT SITTING. (Received March 10th, 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 10. The Legislative Assembly, after an all-night sitting," passed the Transport Bill, amalgamating all the State transport authorities. The Bill provides for the dissolution of the existing organisations in control of trans.port, and -the setting up of a new authority, which will create a transport monopoly, controlled by a Minister for Transport. The organisations to be dissolved include the Railway Commission, the Main Roads Board, and the Transport Trust. Tlie Present Chief Commissioner (Mr \V. J. Cleary) will be ro-u----peiled to retire. Mr deary's term of office is due to continue until the end of 193\1. Ih° present Transport Co-ordination Boar", of which Sir Goorte is chairman, has been constituted for a period of imonths. The chairman of the Transport Trust (Mr Maddocks), who still retains that position, was appointed on June 30th, 1930, by the Bavin Government for seven years.