H—lla

126. The Revision Authority.—The main movement among defaulters in •detention was that resulting from the decisions of the Revision Authorities who were .appointed in June to receive applications from defaulters for release on parole. Four hundred and sixty-seven men, representing 76 per cent, of the total number in detention, submitted their cases for revision, and, after hearing, 283 gained their release on parole in accordance with Regulation 44c (3), (4), and (5) of the National Service Emergency Regulations. The Revision Authority in each case was required to satisfy himself -that the applicant held " a conscientious belief that would prevent his participation in war." He was entitled to take into consideration also the applicant's behaviour while in detention. The function of the Revision Authority was not to ameliorate the •conditions of detention, as such, but merely to ascertain whether, amongst those committed to Defaulters' Detention Camps, there were those who could now establish conscientiousness of belief. An opportunity was given every defaulter to establish his case accordingly. In a large number of instances this opportunity was not availed of by the •defaulters concerned. Furthermore, it was not intended that any favourable decision by the Revision Authority should have the effect of reversing the original Appeal decision. 'The Revision Authority was not given the powers of an appellate tribunal to amend or reverse the decisions of the Appeal Boards. If it considered that any person in defaulters' detention now held conscientious objections that would prevent his participation in war, all that the Revision Authority could do in such a case was to permit the man to be released from detention on parole under man-power direction and subject to forfeiture of remuneration in excess of that which it was deemed he would have received had he served in the Armed Forces. 127. Detention Camps in operation and Work performed.—The year commenced with all the camps (excepting Conical Hill) still in operation. These included Whenuaroa, for maintenance and developmental work on Strathmore and associated blocks under lands-development scheme; Shannon, with three camps —Whitanui, Paiaka, and : Terrill's Farm —for the cultivation of flax areas under the Department of Industries ■and Commerce ; Hautu, regarded as a special disciplinary camp for the undertaking •of such farm-developmental work as was possible under the Prisons Department; Balmoral (North Canterbury) for forestry work and the production of firewood under the State Forest Service ; Oio for the production of firewood in former milling areas under the State Forest Service ; Puketapu for a similar purpose as Oio ; Matanuku for -the subdivision of the Matanuku Block for farms for returned-soldier settlers, including the building of farm cottages, outhouses, &c., under the State Housing Scheme in the Lands and Survey Department; Maramarua for general forestry work under the State Forest Service ; Riverhead for the same purpose as Maramarua ; Gralatea for maintenance and developmental work on the Gralatea Block under the Lands and Survey Department. Skilled tradesmen among the inmates completed the construction of a large residence for the schoolmaster at Turangi and rebuilt and renovated farm cottages for the Lands and Survey Department. The diminution in numbers in detention during the year necessitated a reduction in the number of detention camps, and consequently •all, excepting five of the camps, had been closed down before the end of the financial year. Those remaining were Whenuaroa, Whitanui, Hautu, Balmoral, and Maramarua. 128. Domestic Services. —In addition to the service performed for Government Departments, inmates of the various camps were employed in maintaining their own camps and in the production of farm produce for their own needs, any surplus of which was marketed. The policy has been to make the camps self-supporting as far as certain ■essential food commodities are concerned, thus avoiding the necessity for drawing on the civilian markets for these lines. In addition, the defaulters in the camps have done their own tailoring and bootmaking and have performed all mechanical services in connection with the service and maintenance of official vehicles, power-plants, and farm implements.

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