SMUGGLING CHARGE

Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1933, Page 5

SMUGGLING CHARGE

SILVER EXPORT HEAVY FINES AT WELLINGTON. (.Per Frtss Association Copyright'} WELLINGTON, Jane 13. . In connection • Aviut Vue . charges of siuhggiii.g sliver.to Aiustialia, m Avfeicn .neiuy jioragn, James rjieesion, Douglas o uek strain anti Jollies Boyne, were ooiiiicted, ciiej fines totalling £lsJ.'. Air Alacassey said that about £BOO worth oi i silver cbm/altogether -would bo aorfeitetU . “We'suggest this is not money belonging to these; men. We suggest ’tuey Ayefe acting for someone else, but ' there is :no reason' why the full penalty should not be imposed;” . Mr Leicester, \toF’ JfirestojiL Boyne and Morgan, said this Avas a .type of case in which the Couft should not lose its sense of proportion.. Tile Wanganella .Avas dield up sonieiivb'hours, ond he understood, that,-atr a result of that delay, the Company; suffered considerable loss, the blanie for that; loss being attributed to the accused; Tt fikd been explained to them • that under no circumstances, resume their associations AvltirlhV Coiiipaiiy. • Freeston had been to yea ; fhr 'twenty years. A-s' a result of losing ,his -employment lie would- be stranded ; ih Zealand. Theinonby 'reproshutnd fill his capital, • and; lie' iiiteiuic'd; tajiing it to Australia ' with ; th > h{ldihr,. : ; of. ;rn«kihg profit. ■: Morgan, Would nlsq be ' strands ed. He; received one -shining; in -the pound for taking the money to Australia, fnnd had .-* Be - beeni successful, Avould only . haA'e- receiyedrClS. ’ . ;V ' , With/ rcgard to ' BoyneV 1 : /his:' .case showed what -a , would result if :.the.Court ' to the .Crown.. Prosecutor’s lAqquest; He received; £2O iiLwagO/s. and/.*, changed notes into silver, the idea, being that the increase in .the money; Avould enable him -to : pay " the balance, fof the expenses of his mother’s funeral;

Counsel said that if substantial penalties Avere' imposed and the silver, con : fiscated as he supposed they Avorild; be, the accused Avould have- difficulty in finding the money ; to ' pay .'thh 'fines, the' rosult being that . they’; would have to serve a term of imprisonment, which Avas not'confemplated by the legislature. A special plea Avas v niade 'for leniency for ; Strath,,the . fourth. officer, by Mr T. B. McCarthy. - •" ; • , Mr Page said that.tlfb,offences were difficult, to detect and silver seemed to have* assumed-., Substantial ■- proportions. ' < , ; v WSTRALIAN POLICE l POWER LESS

•j- - • - SYDNEY,; Junc 13. . The “Herald” vkayff-: in ' New Soiitli Wales .- - - Avho. jiave. ■■ been X working-.withyNew Zealand, authon-' ties to prevent Ihe .-imffoftation, of sil- ; f ver coin from that /Pominiqn i.ntq, Aus- : •’ tfalia. - have been hkndibfijmed by tlieir limited powers'• .ufidel'' the. existing v* Acts. .Sipeo , the .‘.difference' in., ex- ;)■ change, occur red H .thoiisupds of, pounds ; Avortli of- silver havp . been brought to - Sydney... by ibter-dplonial liners. Al-. though the/JSTeAy Zealand ; authorities . made an offence tp expert ‘ silver, the practice persisted.- Tlie of the New South Wales police wns obtained, but the autliorities * here found it not an offeuce , to- import; coin into Australia.;^.They'quostipned many offendei’s " and.. discovered hundreds -of nounds Avortli of coin on. ships arriving from No av. Zealand, .but could take no direct* action. ■>';/ ‘’••'L ~