FAILURE TO ENROL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 165, 8 October 1941, Page 5

FAILURE TO ENROL

OTAKIRI FARMER FINED

CIRCUMSTANCES LOWER FINE

At yesterday's sitting of the Magistrate's Court, William Edmund Alexander, farmer of Otakiri, aged ;10 years, Avas charged with failing to enrol for military service.

That the defendant, who was a native of Ireland, had stated that he had been unaware that he was not enrolled was stated by Seigeant M. Farrell who added that the offender was now on tlie roll.

Mr B. S. Barry entered a plea of guilty but claimed extenuating circumstances. Alexander was farming 110 acres and milking 70 cows unassisted. Also he was baching and had no radio; and by the time he had finished work and prepared a meal was left little time to read newspapers. Continuing, Mr Barry stated that it was only when Alexander had been asked by neighbours why he had not been called for service that he came to town and asked at the Social Security Department why he had not received an enrolment card, being under the impression that when filling in other papers he had enrolled. He then wrote to the Director of National Service. There had, Mr Barry claimed, been no intention of avoiding obligations.

Stating that he would take into consideration the special circumstances Mr Walton named a fine half that of the lowest he had so far inflicted for the offence—£2 10S with costs £1 ss.