EDITOR CHARGED

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1932, Page 3

EDITOR CHARGED

ALLEGED SEDITION. PUBLICATION OF A LETTER. BRISBANE, September 22: Martin Luther Reading and George Melton, jun., editor ancl publisher’ resjjectively of the, "Telegraph,” Brisbane, were charged in the Magistrate’s Court, on September 8, with having axlvisedly printed and published a seditious wilting. The charge arose out of the publication on August 4 01 the following letter to the editor PREMIER VERSUS PEOPLE.

Sir, —Already Premier Smith is .showing what a ..wonderful benefactor he is ; to the working man by causing more unemployment through increasing the . unemployment tax. Also more distress and unemployment in the country-by increasing railway freights, and he is. also. doing hi s best to emulate late Premier Lang by allowing the Communists to hoid a,procession. , Premier Smith must have,.sympathy for Communism, otherwise they would not be allowed to hold processions. It appears that no check will be put on the activities ■ of Communism, so it be hiTve.s the people of .Queensland to form a New Guard to protect themselves •before Communism gets tod strong. The Government;’* .loan policy simply means more taxation, so it .is up to the Queensland public to give Mr Smith to understand' in :no uncertain man--uer that they will., npt., pay, any. more. The peoole have -the,„Goveruinen > t at’ tiieiir njercy i> they -only had .the courage-, to act. If- one ..and all refused tu pay any taxes, wimt; could .th.e, government do?. They y;onld. be quite Helpless, as it would take a rather, large, gaol to hold all the tax-paying people. The sooner theT public realise that something drastic will have to he do no on their part to stop Mr Smith's taxincreasing policy, the better for everybody, otherwise Mr Smith ;will have 50 per cent, of the people living in bag tents in a similar imanner t 0,., late Premier Lang, who had 33:per cent 0 f the w'prkers starving, their children and wives starving, and living, in bag tents. Mi* Smith is heading the Queensland workers that way, and no surer indication is wanted than the decreased attendances at the races, which began immediately Labour got into power. People are leaving the- State as quiekiy as possible. One leading bookmaker stated that the last race meeting held at Eagle Farm was the worst in attendance and money that- lie had seen during his eighteen years’ experience, and it, will get worse if Premier Smith is not given to understand that he must decrease taxation and., reduce expenditure,—Yours, etc., T. Martin.