§ 7. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Home Secretary if he is aware that Mr. H. Roper, of Bawtry, was recently summoned for non-attendance of his daughter at school; that he was fined 6s, and because he was unable to pay the fine he was conveyed to Doncaster, thenceforward to Leeds handcuffed and placed in prison; that he has a wife and six children all under the age of 12 years, and his total income is £2 0s. 8d. per week, out of which he has to pay 14s. per week for rent and rates; and will he inquire into this case with a view to a remission of this sentence?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSHaving made inquiry, I find that Mr. Roper was summoned to appear before the West Biding County Bench at Doncaster on 20th March. He did not appear on that day and no letter from him was received. He was fined 5s. On 5th April a commitment was issued in respect of that sum plus 1s. the cost of commitment. Two or three days later he was interviewed by a police officer when he flatly refused to pay and was told, in answer to a question, that the alternative was seven days imprisonment. He was given three or four days to think it over but again refused to pay. On Saturday, 13th April, he was arrested and taken in the police officer's own car to Doncaster. From Doncaster he was taken with another prisoner to Leeds Prison and as the escort consisted of a single officer, the two men were handcuffed together. On Monday, 15th April, someone paid the amount then necessary to procure his release, namely, 4s. 4d., and he was released and his fare was paid to his home. There is, therefore, no question of remission and I see no ground for complaint.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs the Home Secretary aware that the total wages of this man are only a little over £2 a week, out of which he has to pay 14s. per week for rent. That leaves him 26s. per week to maintain eight persons? Does the right hon. Gentleman not think, in view of the economic circumstances of this case, that what appears to have been an excess of zeal in sending this man to prison might have been avoided?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSNo, Sir. I have gone very fully into this case. The man in question quite definitely said that he did not intend to pay.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSHe could not pay.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe man said he would not pay, and therefore the Bench had no option but to commit him to prison for non-payment.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSDoes the right hon. Gentleman think it is possible for a person to maintain himself, his wife and six children upon 26s. a week, and in the short time of three weeks set apart 6s. to pay that fine; and does he not think that, if the economic circumstances of this case had been taken into consideration, the magistrates might have given him more time to pay the fine?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIt was quite possible for this man to send his child to school, and not definitely keep her away until he got into trouble.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this man's wife was ill, and totally incapable of doing anything for herself or her five young children, and that the oldest girl was kept at home for the purpose of looking after her mother and the other young children? Does the right hon. Gentleman not think that, in those circumstances, this man might very well have been treated more sympathetically?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSOf course, I will take that information from the hon. Member, but it was not before the Bench. The man declined to attend.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSHe could not attend.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSAt any rate, he could have afforded a three-halfpenny stamp in order to inform the Bench of those facts, but he did nothing of the kind. He treated the Bench with indignity, and they were bound to convict him.
§ Mr. SPEAKERrose—
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs it not fair to submit to the right hon. Gentleman facts which have not been brought to his notice in a case involving the imprisonment of a man with seven persons dependent upon him? In those circum- 1036 stances, is it not fair to bring the local knowledge to the notice of the Home Secretary?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis is hardly the time to do it.