Dr. Joad Fined for Having no Ticket

Grey River Argus, 16 April 1948, Page 3

Dr. Joad Fined for Having no Ticket

LONDON, April 13.

Dr. C. E. M. Joad,' well-known member of the 8.8. C. Brains Trust and head of the Departmlent of Philosophy and Psychology at the University .of London, was fined £2 at the Tower Bridge Police Court for evading payment of a railway fare between Waterloo and Salisbury. Joad, who was represented by the New Zealand, Mr J. F. F. PlattsMills, pleaded guilty. Mr R. E. Seaton, prosecuting, described the offence as “a-common ticket fraud.” Joad and his secretary, said Mr Seaton, joined the Exeter train at Waterloo, on January 5, and booked two places in the restaurant car for dinner. After the train passed Salisbury, Joad was asked for his ticket. He said he had boarded the train at Salisbury and -because he was in a hurry had been let through the barrier without obtaining a ticket on the platform.

When later challenged by a collector, who pointed out that he had booked two dinners at . Waterloo. Joad denied that he boarded the train there, and repeated that he got on at Salisbury. In all, he . denied four times he had travelled from Waterloo, but at Exeter he finally admitted he had made a mistake and tendered the full fare from London.

Sixteen days later continued Mr Seaton, Joad’s solicitors wrote to the Southern Region Railway Headquarters referring to the “unfortunate repercussions any prosecution would have upon a person of the standing of our client who is, of course, an in-ternationally-known lecturer and author.”

Mr Platts-Mills argued that Joad’s conduct at Waterloo, when he ordered the dinner for himself and his secretary, showed he had no 1 intention of evading the payment of his fare.

The Magistrate said that Joad had pleaded guilty and there was no question that he was guilty. There could be only one fine, and that was the maximum.