"RED" LITERATURE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 208, 27 April 1932, Page 5

"RED" LITERATURE

(Press. Assn.—

"smuggling attempt TWO MEN CAUGHT ON BOARD STEAMER FROM SYDNEY EACH GETS SIX MONTHS

-By Telegraph— Copyright).

AUCKLAND, Tuesday. Pleas of not guilty were entered by Gordon Harvey Dale, aged 25 years, seaman, and Edward Stanley Hamilton, aged 21 years, bootmakqr, when charged in the Pohce Court with causing to be brought into New Zealand six copies of a hook entitbd ~ "The Rilu JVTagazine," which advises .lawlessness. •A further charge of siiiuggling into New Zealand three copies of thq book "Kevolutionary-Programme" and , - &0 copies of j;he book_"TheJTasks of ' Red Trade Unions and the Minority Movements, ^"and other hooks, was not proceeded with. The former charge was brought by the police under the War Regulations Continuance Act, 1920, which prohibits the importation of literature likely to result in strikes and lawlessness, and the smuggling charge was laid by the Customs Department. A Customs official, Leonard Joseph Williamson, said that he first saw accused on the deck of the steamer Marama, just after the arrival of the vessel from Sydney on April 12. As far as witness cquld see accused had no pareels in their possession, but a short time later they left the ship carrying five pareels. Witness examined the pareels and found them to contain Communistie pubb'eations. "To Sell to Seamen" Dale explained to witngss that he had received the papers from Wellington four days previously and that he intended to sell some of them to seamen on the Marama. He anfl his companion had not travellefi by the Marama, but had boarded the vessel at the wharf. Witness subsequently handed the papers, which appeared to be in the original wrappings, to the police. A number of witnesses gave evidence. "I am satisfied that these men went on board the ship after her arrival from Sydney and got these books to take ashore," remarked the Magistrate. "I look upon it as a very serious matter indeed. Distribution of this sort of literature leads to d;sturbances such as we have recently had ' in our city streets." Each accused was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, and an order for the confiscation of the books was made. !In view of the fact that accused had been convicted on the police prosecution, connsel for the Customs Department said he did not wish to press the smuggling charge, which was withdrawn.