February 14 1925
Fines amounting to £200 for the attempted smuggling of 6lbs of tobacco across the border were imposed at Clones District Court yesterday on Mrs Annie McAllister, widow, of Kilconny, Belturbet, and her brother-in-law, Michael McBrien, Milltown, Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, in an adjourned case brought at the suit of the Inland Revenue authorities of the Free State.
From the evidence it appears that on a Sunday morning in November last, the male defendant and his wife went to the border near Belturbet in a motor car, which they left and then walked across. Meeting a revenue officer, the latter put the usual questions to McBrien who admitted being given a parcel by the driver of the car to take to the other defendant, which, it was stated; had been sent by Mrs Blake, merchant, Derrylinn.
On examination the parcel contained the amount of tobacco above stated, and McBrien was subsequently taken into custody. The other defendant admitted the parcel was hers and that she would take responsibility.
Mr ME Knight (for the defendants) submitted when the tobacco was less than 20lbs, the justice had a discretionary power to impose a fine equivalent to one-fourth the maximum of £100. The case was a very small one, but it seemed that the State Solicitor was out for more than his pound of flesh.
Mr JJ Keenan (State Solicitor) opposed the reduction, and the above fine was imposed. McBrien, as he resided outside the jurisdiction, was obliged to pay the fine at once, and two months was allowed for payment of the other fine.
With tariffs imposed on imports of tobacco to the Free State, it became one of the most smuggled items across the border.
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BBC and ‘Lesser Sects’
Many subscribers to the BBC’s “service” are strongly objecting to the use of wireless by exponents of diverse forms of religious beliefs.
It appears the Broadcasting Company is constantly besieged by requests from the lesser sects, and from cults of a definitely eccentric kind, to be allowed to broadcast, but their intentions in Great Britain is to keep to the broadest religious lines.
The preachers asked to broadcast are in turn leaders in the great religious bodies – Church of England, Catholic, Nonconformist, Jews, and others. It is contended on behalf of the ccompany that this is a far better solution than the anarchy and confusion which have followed in America from allowing the religious bodies to do their own broadcasting.
The BBC defended itself for airing a broad range of religious opinion on its platform.
