CHARGES OF SEDITION.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 May 1918, Page 4

CHARGES OF SEDITION.

ARKUNIG MOM SECOND DIVIISIOIf. MEETING, By Telegraph.—Presa Association. Last Night The charges of sedition prefarre* againefc L. E. Langley, J. Mood, and H Huntetr, in connection, with the amendment carried at the Opera House meeting of thu Second Division reservists on April 2S, were heard this afternoon, at the Magistrate's Court before* Mr. Bailey, S.M. Interest in the proceedings, apart from their tearing on Second Division affairs, was d<*pened by the fact that all of the men charged are prominent in Labor movements, and as a consequence tine court was crowded. John Food, waterside worker, was charged that he did publish a seditious utterance at a public meeting held in Chrisitchurch, by preparing and reading a resolution to be proposed in the words following:—'That this meeting of Christxshiurdh citizens is of opinion tha* no Second Division man should leave for camp until the demands of the Second Division League are conceded I>y the Government, and also demands that an election bs held immediotelv." which utterance was seditions, in that the publication thereof had a tendewv to interfere wiffli the discipline of His Majesty's forces, and to excite opws'ition to the oifom-ment of the laws in force for the time 'being in New Zealand relative to compulsory military service durinsr the nreseni; war, and to interfere with the effective adminisitraif.ion of those lawgy contrary to clause 1 of the regulations made on December 4, 1916, under the War HetmMions Act, I*l4. "Frmwt Wl'ward 'Tknglev was charged with proposing the resolution, and Hiram Hunter was charged -with seeondi'tw it. Lander was fwhher charged that he did publish a sedition* utterance it a public meetine held at Ohristmhrirch hv proposing f>. resolution in the follow'ti«t words:— "Th*t until tie demands of ♦he Si>*ond Division men are ateceded to, no Second Division - man leave for camp." -V

ACCUSED COOSTVICTBD. SENTENCED TO TERMS 0» IMPRISOMMBNT. Ohristehuroh, Itotor. During the hearing of the seditious pases, counsel for the defence submitted that the" Mayor of Ohrisrtiehuspcli (Mr. Holland), who was noted for his patriotism, would certainly have blocked the motion if it had appeared to him to foe; seditious. Mr Holland stated in the witnesa-ios that too did not grasp it&e significance of the motion at the time, or he would never have put it to the meeting. AH the accused said they had.no seditious intent, and did not intend the motion to be an incitement to the Second Division men not to go into camp. They were only assailing the Government. Counsel pointed out that none of tihe accused, were anti-militarists. The Magistrate (Mr. Bailey) convicted all three, and sentenced Flood and Lsingley each to six months' imprisonment, and Hunter (who ia a Lafbor member of the City Council) to three months. Mr Bailey said anything tending to interfere with the Government at thia time of crisis was to be deprecated.