PRESS PERSECUTORS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 23 May 1907, Page 2

PRESS PERSECUTORS.

Per Press Association. Wellington, May 22. A deputation organised by the Citizens' Anti-Cambling League waited upon the Attorney-General this evening to complain of the failure of the police to take further steps (after the dismissal of the first person prosecuted) against others ronnected with the publication and sale of a certain newspaper, which was alleged to contain filthy and immoral matter. The members of the depiltalioii ...villained that the Stipendiary Magistrale, in dismissing an information against the publisher of the paper, did so on the ground that this person was away from Wellington, and that it was not established that he understood what was being done v The police had declined to prosecute anybody else, although someone must have been in charge of the office.

The Atlornoy-lioneral said a drastic provision had been passed into law in WO,->, providing that ignorance by the vendor of a paper containing illegal mntter was no defence. The Magistrate in this case found that defendant did not know, thai there was reasonable grounds! for Ink not knowing, and that the ignorance was excusable. The freedom of the Press \ias a thing (o be jealously guarded, and they were not going t'o put a total prohibition against 'the'publication of a paper because it had achieved a disreputable reputation. They would trench on dangerous ground. The Minister of Justice said that the point raised in this ease was one that could hardly occur again, and they would be giving the matter undue publicity if they brought another case. The law was almost as complete as it could be made. The deputation agreed it would do no good to prosecute an actual seller of the paper. That would not get at the proper people.