SERVICE DEFAULTERS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 234, 30 June 1944, Page 4

SERVICE DEFAULTERS

N.Z.R.S.A. Asks For PostWar Penalties Delegates to the R.S.A. Dominion conference in Wellington were almost unani; mous last night on this South Taranaki remit: “That all persons adjudged military defaulters be barred from employment in Government departments or in any institution or concern maintained by the funds of taxpayers and be deprived of civil rights, both for 10 years from the end of the war." Only two delegates out of 188 voted against the remit, on which there were only three speakers. Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M. (New Plymouth) said there were men whose conscientious appeals had been dismissed but who nevertheless were men of conscience. They must protect returned men from any unfair competition, but what was proposed was more than necessary for this protection. That would be vindictive and if he was the only dissentient he would vote against the remit. Let the penalties proposed be till the official conclusion of hostilities only, even though that might seem too short. Mr. G. G. Griffiths (Matamata) said the defaulters had been kent safe and sound and if they were going to escape without penalty once the war . was over there would be thousands of defaulters in a future war. Mr. D. McCormick (South Taranaki) said that the remit had been approved at a Hawera meeting of returned men from this war before going to the South Taranaki executive.