DEFAULTERS IN COURT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 55, 26 June 1914, Page 6

DEFAULTERS IN COURT.

TERRITORIALS FINED. v A good deal of the time of the Court was taken up this morning in hearing charges arising out of breaches of the Defence Act. NO MUSKETRY DONE. A. O. Hanson, of the General Training Section, pleaded guilty to failing to attend drill on March 13th. Sergt.-Major Bonar stated that for the past year, ending on May 31st, defendant had done no musketry exercise and was entered as inefficient for the year. In the course of his explanation defendant complained that he had no uniform, to which the the S.M. remarked r "We have some people who come here,and object to wearing the uniform and now you say you object to parading without a uniform. I regard it merely as an excuse." The S.M. said that properly a stiff fine should be inflicted in view of the default by defendant, but the lenient fine of 20s, with 7s costs, would be imposed provided defendant promised to attend drills iu future and to give notice of'any change of address. COWS TO MILK. A. W. Goldsmith was fined 20s, with costs 19s 6d, for failing to attend annual camp. He pleaded that he could not attend owing to having cows to milk. Defendant is exempted from drills, and the S.M. said that in such cases the excuse for failing to attend the annual camp must be a good one. DIDN'T KNOW THE DATE. Patrick Flynn, another man exempted from drills, pleaded not guilty to failing to attend annual camp. He stated that he had missed the train for the first camp and could not procure/a train pass, and he did not receive the notice to attend the second camp ti|l some time after it started. Sergeant-Major Bdnar stated that the dates of the camps were posted in a prominent place on the Te Wera railway station, and he must have seen the notice. The S.M. said that in his opinion the excuse of ignorance in Territorial cases had no ground. A fine of £3, with costs 7s, was imposed. A FIVE-POUND FINE. John Douglas Grantham was fined £5, with costs 7s, in default twentyeight days' military detention. Sergeant-Major McGlade said that in addition to failing .to attend camp defendant had not attended any drills during the year. The S.M. remarked that apparently defendant had no intention of carrying out his training. EXEMPTION FROM DRILL. I Arthur T. Richmond, a member of the Hnd. M.R., was granted exemption from periodical parades, musketry and camp to be done as usual.