TOOK TO BUSH TO AVOID SERVICE

Chronicle (Levin), 23 July 1947, Page 7

TOOK TO BUSH TO AVOID SERVICE

-Press Associaticn

r-)/ Telearavh-

CHRISTCHURCH, July 22. Wlien his appeal against being calleu up for military service was 1 dismissed in 1941. Morgan Pierpont Slater 'wen: into the luish in Southland and re mai ned there until a short time ago. Lu the Magistrute's Court this mornin;, Slater, a bushman and miner, aged 39, p.leaded guilty to a charge that on .Tanuarv 5, 1942, at Dunedin, being called up for service with the armed services, he failed to report for service when requested to do so. He was sentenced to two months' imprisonmen without liard labour, by Mr. Rayxnonc! Ferner, S.M. Imprisonment without lianl labour was ordered4bv the Magis trate because of Slater 's state o. health. On Mareh 4, 1941, Slater was called up for service with the armed forces. said Detective Sergeant A. A. Herron He appealed as a conscientious ob jector, his appeal was dismissed ami he was ordered to report for service 011 J anuary 0, 1942. He failed to do so and a warrant was issued for his arresl. Nothing further was heard of him until hc walked into the Central' l'olice l Station 011 July 13 to give himself up Mr. I). W. Russell, who appeared for Slater, said Slater was a follower of Jehovah's Witnesses. When his appeal was dismissed he went into the bush in Southland and during the follovving five years he had experienced untold hard sliips. For months he never spoke t» a humau being and had eaten nothing exeept meat for a month at a time. Slater was at present in a very serioustate of bodilv health. A report submitted by a'doctor stated that his phvsical condition was such that if he had report ed for medical examinatiou he would not have passed or if he had goue into camp he would not have sur vived camp life. " Although his actions have been cowardlv, he might have saved the country a( great deal of expense," Mr. Russell said. "There seems to be no reason in principle whv defendant should not be dealt with as any other military de faulter," said the Magistrate. " If defendant has had a hard time in the bush it has been due to his own actions."