SYDNEY SMUGGLING CASE

Chronicle (Levin), 12 April 1947, Page 5

SYDNEY SMUGGLING CASE

Press Assn,

Counsel Rebuked Following Sharp Clashes

.Jy Telegrcwh

- CQpyrigilit

lieceiv ed Fnday, S.2U p.m. SYDNEY, April 31. Sharp clashes between iUessrs. Dave\ .nd Snano, iv.G., imfl robuKes tu boiu .dniinis.eitd by the Aiagistrate marXeu .ne second day oi the hearfng of tlie ase in which Joseph Golduerg, oi Syd .tey, footwear manufacturer, is charged. 11 a special r'ederai Gourt with iiuporr,.ng prohibited godds. vvnen the case for the proseeut-ion ilosed Mr. A. R. Taylor, K.G., for de.endant, subnntted that thore was iio .vidence tnat Goldberg was the' owne. ;f the trun«s or had anything to du a ith brmging theni to Australia. •When Jttf. Shandj for the prosecution, injected to questions by Mr. Dovey for ■leiendant during -the cross-examinatiou jf the witness, Robert Fyfe Kerr, Jovev stouted: "-Let us have some .eality in this case." Mr. Slvuid rose to his feet and said: •You have 110 • right to say thiugs like .hat. " \ . The Alagistrate: Lf -this sort of con luct goes 011, L shall have to adjouru .lic c.ase. 1 want some iittle order, pleuse. ' Kerr admitted that - while in. the Comuionwealth serviee he was running .1 travel agency 011 Beverly flills, near 1,0s Angeles. • • A11 eariior eable stated: When he was vhargfxl with ha ving. iniported prohibif-v.-d goods into Australia last July Joseph Golduerg, a manufacturer, said that the late Minister for Customs, .Senator Keane, had guv.en. hini 3000 dollars to buy luxury gouds in the United States. Goldberg also stated that there was an arrangement between him and Senator iveatie and the Senator 's private secre tary, W. T. Kirk, to enter into a busi ness partnership 111 whielf Goldberg uouid provide tne money, Kirk would do the work and the Senator would tind the contacts. As a result of this arrangement, saul Goldberg, he secured an agency 111 Australia for ' 1 Gorocraft ' ' jewellery. Robert Eyfe Kerr, San Frau cisco representative of the Australian Wiu Supplies Frocurement, said Golduerg visited him -there- about June 12, 1940, sliowed him a letter from Kirk iind asked hina what could be done about the requests in the letter. Kerr suggested that Miss Ivelly,. of his staff, vvlio was leaving by the Monterey for Australia in a- few days, could take charge of tlie luggage. "Oue asks whv this case was ever brought," said Ylr. Dovey, counsel for I Goldberg. " Why Mrs. Keane was not I prosecuted is amazing. She knew some of the goods were coining. We were the innovent pafty in an 'amazing inci dent in the nature of a politieal scanilal. It was an incident which causeil someone in authority to say: ' Well, we niust elear it up by a prosecution and we mig'lit as well piek 0,11 Goldberg who bought the goods. We won't bother about Senator Keane— he's dead. We won't bother about Mrs.. Kepm?, ' The.a-ake is,. basedj ojj, guesswork, speculation and worse, in order that. this man must take the blarn-e in the place of someone higher I up. ; ' Finding Goldberg g'uilty ,and fining ■iim £250 and £5-5 costs, the Magistrate said: "1 am satislied beyond reason able doubt that- Goldberg was guilty of importing prohibited goods. y> ■ To Mr. Dovey the Magistrate said: "1 take it there was no ihfereni-e detrimental to the late Senator Keane regarding his transactions in this." ^rr. Dovey replied: "I don't know what your Worship means. T '111 not making sugg-estions against the late Senator. ' ' A stav of proeeedings for 21 days was granted.