UNKNOWN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 223, 20 March 1914, Page 6

UNKNOWN

oi.\ V ..TiXU XEHKIT9UIALS. A CASK DEFENDED.

According to a statement made in the -Magi.slrate's Court at New Plymouth y.-stenhn by an .illicer of the 'defence sUir of Xew Zealand; it is not necessa-.' to not'iy a Territorial in writing 01 a parade ::{ which he is required to attend, Hit mere announcement at one of the \ve,:i;!y parades of''a parade to be held tin- following week being deemed suflieient. apart from the fact that men may be absent when ,i special parade is announced.

Leslie P. Sole, of I\ew w-mouth, wis charged with having failed to attend a parade held on February 17 last. He did not appear, owing to sickness, but Mr. Ronald Quilliam pleaded not guilty on his behalf.

Sergeant-Major M'Glade deposed to the absence of the defendant from parade on the date mentioned. Mr. Quilliam asked when the defendant was notified that the parade was to take place, to which the Sergeant-Major rejoined that it was not necessary to notify Territorials in writing of ' the date on which p.-rades were to be held, the mere announcement that a parade would be held on a certain day being sufficient. Since last Juno the defend* ant had atttended eleven parades and had obtained leave from four more. Mr. Quilliam stated in defence that a card had been issued to the defendant at the beginning of the Territorial year, showing the dates on which oarades were to be held, and those in February were set down for the 10th and the 24th. Subsequently an amended card was issued, in which a narade was set down for-February 17, the ;1..t« in <lispn>. This card, liowever, as the mark would show, had not been Dosted to the defendant until Februarv 18.

Sergeant-Major M'Glade stated that at the parade on Februarv 10 it was announced by the officer'in'charge of the company that ano.the • rarade would be held on February 17. Mr. Quilliam pointed out that the defendant had obtained leave of absence from the parade on February 10, and consequently had to depend on his card to tell him when the next parade.would take place. The amended parade card was not posted, to him until Februarv 18.

Sergeant-Major M'Glade then applied for an adjournment to allow him to ascertain whether the parade for February. 17 was not nctuiilv ainouneod on the parade immediately preceding February 10, when defendant was actually present.

Mr. Quilliam opposed 'the application. His client was an enthusiastic Territorial, and a previous volunteer, and all the parades which lie had missed had been on account of the exigencies' of his occupation. The Department had been jruilty of carelessness, and had,put the defendant to considerablj trouble in tin matter.

Mr. Crooke, however, granted the adjournment, and refused to allow costs against the Department, a* Mr. Quillian had not notified them of the nature of his defence.