"INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISTS' REVIEW "

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3099, 1 June 1917, Page 7

"INTERNATIONAL SOCIALISTS' REVIEW "

-4 ■ — A. PROHIBITED PUBLICATION. In the Magistrates Court yesterday, afternoon, before. Mr. 1.. 0. Reid, h.M., tho Gordon and Gotch Proprietary, Ltd-, wcro charged under tho War Regulations that they had in thoir possession for sale a prohibited publication knowu lue •'lnternational Socialists' Review. Mr. P. S. K. Macassoy, who appeared Tor Iho Crown, said that the information was laid under tho War Angulations dealing with prohibited publications, 1 ho fads wore- that tho police mado a scare i of the defendants' promises, and tooK possession of certain invoices and found that during tho last 13 months 114 copies of this prohibited publication had been brought into New Zealand by tho defondants. Ho was quite prepared to accept tho tilatement that tho breach had been. committed to ignorance. Mr. Mncassey pointed out that the prohibition of. the review iu question hart been advertised in tho daily papers in Wellington, and added that Gordon and Gotch had been perfectly frank and gavo tho polico ovcrv assistance. Mr. T. 'Weston, on behalf or tho defendants, stated that the publication was prohibited under tho Wat Kegulations, bill, not under tho Customs Regulations. It was perfectly legal to import this review into New Zealand, but it yas illegal to ha.vo if. in one's posession. Gordon and Gotch had always rolled on tho Customs Kegulations. They submitted their invoices to tho Customs Department, who had placed no restrictions on this review. Tho breach had been committed entirely in ignorance, and ho asked that a merely nominal penalty bo imposed. The Magistrate said it was not a. ease calling for a heavy penally, and imposed a. lino nf 4ns., with costs.