£3 and Costs.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 37, 5 June 1914, Page 5

£3 and Costs.

A TERRITORIAL FINED. ABSENT FROM CAMP. H. R. Slight pleaded guilty at the Court this morning To failing to attend the recent. Territorial camp at Takapau. Sergt.-Major Mcßae said defendant was a distance-limit man and did not attend parades. He was in the Mounted Rifles. Defendant said he was away in the back country and did not know the camp was on. The S.M.: Didn’t you ever see the newspapers? Didn’t the mail ever reach you ? Defendant said he had received private letters, hut nothing from the Defence authorities. The Sergt.-Major said all possible steps had been taken to ensure defendant receiving notice. Defendant: I was ill at the time and applied for exemption. The Sergt.-Major said the defendant saw his commanding officer regarding exemption. The officer supplied a stamped and addressed envelope and asked defendant to get a medical certificate, but that was me last heard of the matter. The S.M. said he had found in Territorial cases that if a man approached an officer and put the position properly before him the officer was always willing to do as much as lie could for the man. Defendant said ho was quite prepared to go to camp. He did not know the date of the first camp and was ill in Stratford when the casual camp was being held.

The S.M. said it seemed to be necessary to give the Court power in all cases to send men to detention in Wellington for double the time in camp missed. A fine of £3, with costs 7s, was imposed, in default three weeks’ military custody, n