§ Captain BOWYERasked the Secretary to the Treasury why, in the action against Messrs. S. Dixon and Son, Limited, Leeds, for contravening the Trading With the 1829W Enemy Act on 28th May, 1919, with respect to a firm in Mexico City, the Public Prosecutor withheld the information that the black list referred to had been withdrawn by the Government one month previous to the trial of the action; and why the stipendiary magistrate was allowed to impose a penalty for the purpose of warning other traders, when it was in the knowledge of the Public Prosecutor that such restrictions no longer existed?
Mr. HARMSWORTHThe information in question was not withheld by counsel for the prosecution, who informed the stipendiary magistrate during the hearing of the case that the black lists had been withdrawn on 28th April. It would have been impossible and useless to endeavour to conceal the fact, which was published in the newspapers on 28th April. The fine was not imposed for the purpose of warning other traders, but as punishment for an offence committed on 11th April.