THE DEFENCE ACT

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10605, 11 April 1912, Page 5

THE DEFENCE ACT

TO BE ENFORCED. (By Telegraph—FYess Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. Replying to, a representative deputation which Urged, the enforcement of the compulsory principle of ;the Defence Act, the Hon. A. M. Myers said that so long as he was the Defence Minister it was clearly his duty to see that the law was carried out. Only a small minority of the, people of the Dominion were opposed to military training.

In regard to imprisonment, the Minister said it was not the intention of the Legislature that failure to comply with- the Act should involve, imprisonment, but failure to pay the fine, brought about that'result. The majority of those imprisoned had served their sentences, but in regardNtb- the ten whos sentences varid from four to 10 whose sentences varied from four to a portion of the sentence. Every man who refused to pay the fine was going to be imprisoned, but he pointed out that in the cases under review each man hadjs^rved'."ft"'.portion of his sentence, and the, law to that extent had been .vindicated:' Aji anieiklmeht of the. Act was contemplated'to. provide some other penalty than imprisonment: The Government would endeavour to make the scheme, an unqualified success.