REFUSING TO REGISTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1183, 19 July 1911, Page 6

REFUSING TO REGISTER.

TWO LADS AND THE LAW. U!y Telegraph.—Press Association.) , r Christciiurch, Juiy 18. Emvin llannain and Jiarrv Uooiie th« latfer being a sou ul i\ It, Cooke, iviio recently declined to pay a line imposed on hi in lor a breach ol tile city by-iaws to-day' pieadcd not guilty t. ciiargcs of having iailed to register under Uio l) u . l'eiieo Act. Mr. Bishop, S.M., asked Hannam why he didu t register. 11 a imam: Decause I don't believe in it Mr. Bishop i Are you going to M>t vour. sell up against the law? llannam: lcs. Mr. Bishop: You will find it very ex. pensive. Continuing, the magistrate said that it was very■ loutish of a lad to dely (he law He wns;on (lie bench to administer ,tho law, and it iiad to bo obeyed. In reply to questions, llannam said that he was nineteen years ol age, mid was a carpenter. His lather was a bootmaker, and had not encouraged him to object bo registration. ( "Why do you object?" asked Mr. Rishop, and there was no answer, aH though tho query was repeated several times. ;; "Now," added' the magistrate, "why not' register, anil then if occasion should arise draw the attention of the authori-' ties to these aspects of the schcmc to winch you object "I objcct to military law," said nan.' • nam hesitatingly. " • > The magistrate explained that military law wns not in vogue, and (ho matter was . only oiio of fending in names. i! - 1 wish,' lie added, "that I was young enough to send my name in. Thero is a : law which says you are to send vour name ' in, and you should obey it. "There ara " lets oi laws to which I dbject, but if you wish to become a good citizen yon mu«t obey tho laws. Now I want you to reconsider this nnd register. We hear n. lot of 'high-falutin' talk about going lo gaol for principle, but. you :ow you won't bo a martyr, and there is nothing to enshrino your name for the gMdanco of ' others. In l'act you won't bo misled when you are gone. Don't you .think .j-ou had better register?" , llannam: No. ' '' J' Bishop: My persuasive powers don't sce.ii to go for much. You are litible to a fine of X's and will 1m debarrcdMrom registration as an doctor. They mrts' slop you getting married yet, foolish bbrlf Devon prefer to pay a fin-a? " ~r. iHannam: Yes. ,i Mr. Bishop: You force me into. tliiS' position? ■> llannam: Yes. ;I '\, Mr. Bishop: I do not understand this- ' sort of mind. Perhaps it can lie 'ac-' counted for. (To Hannam) Wluit"nS iligion do you belong to? ~'V Haniiam: I don't belong to any. .' i Mr. Bishop: Then of courso von-«#»"., probably under no sort of discipline,' and - f your mind has not been properly trained. 1 ,* Understand that; you are fined'2os. -and " costs', and if y'bti do not pay the fine yon will go to gaol. As sure as you set your- ' self up against me you will find yourself in trouble.

Harry Cooke, similarly charwod, was asked "Why won't you register?" ' Cooke drew himself up with five foot 1 something of dignity, and said in tenss tones: • "Because I don't believe in murder, and I won't be (rained to be a murderer." The thunderbolt did not disconcert, tlio magistrate. "Oh, (hat's the lino' you take. Then you arc lined 10s. and costs." '' .