THE DEFAULTERS' LIST.

Taihape Daily Times, 25 July 1919, Page 4

THE DEFAULTERS' LIST.

CARELESSNESS ANI3.coIN- - CIDENGES . ' WELLINGTON, this day. In ‘the original list of military defaulters, who are being disfranchise-d for ten years, ‘there were 2373 names. Itspublication was followed by a numberof protest; against wrongful inélusion_ of individmals, and all these cases are being investigated by a small cominit—~ tee ‘set up by the Minister of DefenceThe first month’s invesfigation resulted in eighteen names being removed from the list__. and three being added. Another amended list will shortly be issued, showing alterations ‘to ‘about the same eietent.

The inquiries into complaints of wrongful inclusion in the defaultiers" list Show that. there has been »a remarkable degree of carelessness on the part of many relatives of men whose names were gazetted -as they had voluntarily enlisted, either in our own, or some other portion of His Majest.y’s Forces. Quite 75 per cent of the annoyance * which has been caused would have been avoided had the relatives of the men‘? who were serving in the forces, at the time they were gazett-ed by the Gov- = ernment Statistician as being called upfor military service, indicated this fact " to the authorities then, instead of waiting until the appearance of the Defaulters’ Lists. Not onlywere the names gazetted, and copies 'of_ the official publication displayed in post ofiices, but the newspapers always published the local lists of ballot men, and each one was notified by registered letter to parade for medical ' examination. - Caseshave come before ‘the investigating committee in which the oificial letter was sent to the local post ofiice (being the address given by the individual when the National Register was compiled), and it was returned marked, “Gone, no adclre'ss,”'iol" -“‘Unclaim‘ed’,.” although the’ relatives of ‘the’ man concerned were and are still living in the district. The man hadgone away from home, and omitted to notify the‘ Governent Statistieiaii of-‘this: change’ " of’ address,”-“while his relatives. either did not see the names in the ballot list, or did not trouble about the conse-_ quences -oi flailing to report. In one.’ appeal ‘against - inclusion -in the. .defaulters’ list, the individual has again given as his address the one which failed to locate him when the ballot

notices were issued. T Coincidences of the most remarkable kind account for other errors in the defaulters’ list. ‘There are cases of ’ “ doubles’ ’in surname and ‘initials,’ and - even occupations. The only diflerem. tiating factor in one instance of “double” was that “‘Sydney” in one case appeared, on closer investigation, toibe spelled with ‘.‘i” instead of “y.” Unfortunately, this was not notioedvby the staif, and _»'the wrong man‘-was posted as l3a.d€f3,llli'~€l‘. The error -has now been corrected. No amount of ' official carefulness could have. -got over the difl‘iculties into» which another individual landed, as a result of going under an assumed name for twenty years, but registering himself correctly with the Government. Statistician. He appeared in the defaulters’ list, and then appealed-—_us,ingV his _ assumed name, by which he..is best known. There is ua.no‘ther case of a youngmau who had done good servicofi in the forces, but was posted as a dc- - faulter 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 on a farm, and, designated as .3. farmer, with full Christian name and 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——wcre 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’ list. A little -trouble on I their part, when ‘the ballot list appearled would have saved the student, as !well as themselves, the present annoylance. There are cases in which the--3 parents of an enlisted man have accepted the notices eonneeted with the ha]-~ lot. without informing‘ the authorities" that their son was already serving. The ballot lists were always checked with the reinforcement rolls, and thousands of Clll1liI1!3.tlOl‘lg were thus effected, but ‘there were many errors (arising mainly 4'] out of different initials and Christian names given by men when registering and attesting) which could have been avoided had there been more co-opera-T tion on the’ p«2.l*t. of the men ’s relatives as soon as the ballot lists were gaz. elated. ‘ - '