THE DEFAULTERS' LIST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17690, 30 July 1919, Page 8

THE DEFAULTERS' LIST

v'- - LiLKSbA AinD UUi.jSOi-DiiilsOi2*x In the original lisl ox military defaulters, wiio arc uejjig Uiaiiainjiiisou lur 1U yearis, Uiu-jc- v, i;ru iiOi-j im.iues. jj.a puuiicauou v>as loUowed L,y a mimuc-r ol proi/eitti ugaiiisi Uio wrong, ui uuaiis.vii oi jiunviuuujb, aua . ail tliL'Scj ea.-3(.'.s uiu btsuig inveaui-gaiod by a small comiimtcu set up «>y the iuuiibtur ol -Ue.ieucu. 'lhe iirst juuulh's iiivcsugsiuosi ix.-sultcd in j.6 lu-.-mos removed tram 14io list-, iui<l tiireo LCiig ad-doil. Ail-other tuiiumlmg list will sli'JLlly bo issued snowing alterations to about, Uic same exleiio. i'lie inquiries into complaints ot wrongiul inclusion in Uio defaulters' iist show uiat there lias been a remarkable degroo of carelessness on tha part, ot many relatives of men whose namos were gazetted as having boon called up in ttio ballot under tiio Military Service Act, when they had voluntarily enlisted either i.u our own or soino otder portion of his ivlujosty's torccs. Quito To per cent, of the annoyalico which has been caused would have u.Xjii avoided haa tile reiauvea ol men who wore serving in tlie torcos at tho timo taey were gazetted by tho Government Statistician as being called up lor military service, indicated tliia fact to the authorities then instead of waiting until the appearance of the defaulters' lists. .Not only were the names gazetted, and copies of the oflicial publication displayed in post offices, but the newspapers always published the local lists of ballot men, a.ud each. one was notified by registered letter to parade for medical examination. Cases have come before the investigating committee, in which tho oflicial letter was sent to the local post office (being the address given by tho individual when the National Register was oompiled), and it was returned marked " Gone, no address," or " Unclaimed," although the relatives of the man concerned were and a?e still living in the district. The man had gone away from homo, and omitted to notify tho Government Statistician - of his change of address, while his relatives either did not see the nam© in tho ballot list or did not trouble about tho consequents of failing to report. In one appeal against inclusion in the defaulters' list tho individual has again given as his address the one which failed to locate him when the ballot notices were issued.

Coincidences of the most remarkable kind account for other errors in tho 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. Tho error has now been corrected. No amount of official carefulness could have got over the difficulties into which another individual Landed as a result of going under an assumed name for 20 years, but registering himself correctly with the Government Statistician. He appeared in tho defaulters' list, and then appealed— using his assumed name, by which ho 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 tho National Regis-tor was compiled he was a student. By tile time the Military Service Act was in operation lie bad gone upon a farm, and, designated as a farmer, 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 any explanation given to the Government Statistician, though the college authorities now resent the appearance of their institution in a defaulters' roll. 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 casos in which the parents of an enlisted man havo accepted the notices connected with the' ballot with-, out informing tho authorities that their son was already serving. The ballot lists were always checked with the reinforcement rolls, and thousands of eliminations were thus 1 effected, but there were many errors (arising _ mainly out of different initials and Christian names given bv men when registering and attesting), which could have been avoided had there been more cn-operation on the part of the men's relatives as soon as the ballot lists were nrazetted.