A MILITARY DEFAULTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 December 1922, Page 4

A MILITARY DEFAULTER.

APPLIES FOR ENROLMENT. £lO FINE INFLICTED. “If a man’s country is not worth fighting for it is not worth voting for,” said Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., in convicting Maurice Granville at the Eltham Court yesterday on a charge of making application for enrolment as an elector in the Egmont electorate while being a military defaulter deprived of his civil rights. Mr. Bailey, who appeared for the defendant, pleaded guilty. Sergeant Henry conducted the case for the police. Sergeant Henry said that accused had been sentenced to 150 days’ imprisonment for deserting from camp and had served that term. The gazette showing accused’s name as a defaulter was produced. He had made some enquiries of Cons! able Townsend with regard to his position as an elector, hut the onus was upon accused to make sure of his position before applying for enrolment. Mr. Bailey said that at the time of the Court-martial nothing was said about the forfeiture of civil rights. In Auckland accused had inspected a gazetted list of military defaulters who had been deprived of their civil rights, but his name was not on the list. Accused had approached Constable Townsend to enquire into his position, but had been unable to get any definite information. Accused had been approached by a business man and asked if he was on the roll, Granville replying that he did not know. When the roll was inspected it was found that accused’s name was not there, and on the understanding that an application for enrolment would be returned by the registrar if it was- not in order the accused made an application, which resulted in the present proceedings. Granville was a well-known farmer in the district and the police had nothing against him. Under the circumstances Mr. Bailey asked that a fine only should be inflicted. The Magistrate held that Granville made the application knowing that he was deprived of his civil rights and a fine of £lO, with costs 7s, was inflicted. His Worship remarked that the rolls must bp kept clean.