CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17685, 24 July 1919, Page 9

CITY POLICE COURT

Wednesday, July 23. (Before Mr H. T. Widdowson, S.M.) , first offenders were cach lined 20s, m default 48 hours' imprisonmcnt.- -Rodger Kirby, similarly charged was fined 10s, or 24- hours' imprisonment;! 7nfii +ii"' ISOn Jackie was remanded until _ tliis morning, and David Johnston bumung was remanded till Saturday for medical treatment. y

Maintenance.— Robert Jas. Lowe (a. seawho was charged with hav--nj, failed to contribute towards the support >f his mother was remanded to appewat Auckland on July 3L Evading the Customs.—Matthew Wisharfc was charged under the Customs . Act 1913 S' °\.°T about February 4 unshipping goods which are subject to the control of the Customs—to wit, one piece of si k anrJ one kimono of a total value of £6, bcintj goods dutiable to the sum of £1 4s lOd Irom a ship at Port Chalmers, when an ennlacle £ind P 358 " 1 'n respect of such goods or a written permit had not been granted by the CoUector.-Accused l ,y Hanlon - T he Collector of Customs stated *• ij !&? w , as la!d 515 the result of the ai'tic es having been found in a house at Port Chalmers. Accused .had been storekeeper on the hospital ship Manama. It was a difficult matter for the Customs officers to keep a watch on -members of ships crews when they wore going ashore —lAr Hanlon stated that accused had made a present of the goods to a person at Port Chalmers. He admitted being guilty of ilie _ oftence in not having declared' the goods. He had been engaged worlcng on [no transports and hospita.l sh : ps for a lengthy period. He h-d bought the poods and taken them to England, whore the Customs Department had stated that as far art the silk was concerned th"re was no duty to pay. Accused honestly believed that tl' sarin? apnlied here, and 'that the silk was exempt from duty. He had not bought thr> goods for profit, but merely for the rrnrPoso of rreiking a present. Ho h-.d also brought tobacco ashore, but. knowing it to be dutiable, had droWrrxl it. It would not. haytt been difficult for him to dec'are e silk and the amount of dntv wouVl have been yery small. Fe (counsel) understood that the so'dions bronchi a. lot of stuff ashore with them, and !f thev deela.rod it was for their own no ohi<Wion w>s raised. Aeeused certainly did not think he W.n.q doing any wromr. Thi-i was tbp first time he had appeared Wm-p the court and he (counsel) mibmitte-l that it wa* a enon wher" -th" «mn.lVrt penalty eo"'*l imr>o*od. -The fined the minimum penalty. £25. with costs f7?l.