DEFAULTERS LIST.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1919, Page 4

DEFAULTERS LIST.

CARELESSNESS AND COINCIDENCES. W EnMNOTOJf, This D ly In the original list of military defaulters, who are being disfranchised , for ten years, there were 2,373 names. Its publication was followed by a number of protests against the wrongful inclusion of individuals, and all these cases are being investigated by a small committee set up by the Minister of Defence. The first mouth’s investigation resulted in eighteen names being removed from the list, and three being added. Another amending list will shortly be issued showing alterations lo about the same extent.

Tho inquiries into complaints of wrongful inclusion in the defaulters’ list show that there has been a 10tmirkable degree of carelessness on the part of many relatives ol' men whose names were gazetted as having been called up in the ballot, under tho Military Service Act, when they had voluntarily enlisted either in our own or some other portion of His Majesty’s Forces. Quite 75 per cent of the annoyance which lias been caused would have been avoided liad tho relatives of men who were serving in the forces at the time they were gazetted by tho Government Statistician as being called up for military service, indicated this fact to the authorities thou instead of waiting]

until the appearance of the defaulters'

lists. Not only were the names gazetted, and copies of the official publication displayed in post offices, but the newspapers always published the local lists of ballot men, and each one was notified by registered letter to parade for medical examination. Cases have come before the investigating committee in which the official letter was sent to the local post office (being the address given by the individual when the National Register was compiled), and it was returned marked “ Gone, no address,” or “Unclaimed,” although the rela-

tives of the man concerned were and are still living in the district. The man had gone away from home, and omitted to notify ■ the Government Statistician of his change of address, while his relatives either did not see the name in the ballot list, or did not trouble about the consequences of failing to report. In one appeal .against inclusion in the defaulters’ list, the individual has again given as his address the one which failed to lopate him when the ballot notices were issued.

Coincidences of the most remarkabl e kind account for other . errors in the defaulters’ list. There are cases of “doubles” in surname and initials, and even occupations. The only differentiating factor in one instance of a *• double ” was that “ Sydney ” in one case appeared on closer investigation to be spelled with “i” instead of “y.” Unfortunately this was not noticed by the staff, and the wrong man was posted as a defaulter. The error has now been corrected. No amount of official carefulness coaid have got over the difficulties into which another iudividual lauded as a result of going under an assumed

name for twenty years, but registering himself correctly with the Government Statistician. He appeared in the defaulter’ list, and then appealed—using his assumed name, by which he is best known. There is another case of a young man who has done good service in the forces, but was posted

as a defaulter with the address of a well known college attached. When the National Register was compiled, he was a student. By the time the Military Service Act was in operation he had gone upon a farm 1 , and, designated as a fanner, with full Christian name and a country address; he appeared in the reinforcement roll. Notifications under the Military Service Act addressed to his college—for no change of address was indicated to the Government Statistician as the law required—were, not forwarded to him. Nor was au explanation given to the Government Statistician, though the college authorities now reoem the appearance of their institution in a defaulters’ list. A little trouble on their part when the ballot list appeared would have saved the student as well as themselves, the present annoyance. There are cases in which the parents of an enlisted man have accepted the notices connected with the ballot, without informing the authorities that their sou was already serving. Tne ballot lists were always checked with the reinforcement rolls, and thousands of eliminations were thas effected, bat there were many errors (arising mainly out of different initials and Christian names given by men when registering and attesting) which could have been avoided bad there been more co-operation on the part of the men’s relatives as soon as the ballot lists were gazetted.