SEDITION CHARGE

Hokitika Guardian, 24 August 1933, Page 6

SEDITION CHARGE

sin. ; men.-;g(ET :&i£. months’

-BRITISH JUSTICE ABUSED

(Per Press Association —Copyright),

•V WELLINGTON 24. Mi* 'Page,-, S.M.; to-diCT/-;gave judgment in the cases of six men, Blair, Birchfield, Webb; Bryan, Reilly, and McDowell,. recently charged with printing and publishing' a small book “Karl Marx and the Struggle, of the Masses.” He held that tlie book expressed : a seditious intention, and said that, in his View, the printing'fdr distribution of thousands of copies of -this book could nbt be regarded as other than a serious breach of the criminal law. “Those who- make their residence in this country must obey its,laws:” He sentenced each of the accused to six months’ imprisonment, but, before he did so, several of them addressed the court.

Their addresses were more or Jess confined to an abusive attack on the principles of / British justice. They condemned the present system of'the (Government and-the courts, and stated that they expected neither leniency nor justice, 'because .they knew they could not get it.

One of the-accused, Webb, asked, however, that when in gaol they should be regarded a s political prisoners', and allowed special privileges, such as wearing civilian .clothes, -writing letters without restriction, iand receiving visitors. On the application -of Detective-Ser-geant Revell, Birchfield was 'remanded to appear at Timal'u on ra charge’ 'of obtaining £7 Os 9d from the Public ’(Wodks Department ly falsely representing that he was injured at the Waitaki hydro electric works.