FOR HIS HEALTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 186, 6 August 1918, Page 4

FOR HIS HEALTH.

JUGOSLAV SENT TO GAOL.

REFUSED NATIONAL SERVICE.

One of the party of 34 Jugoslavs who were recently before the Court at Taumarunui for declining to take national service, Joseph George Vodanovich, a young man, was brought before Mr. P. K. Hunt, S.M., this morning on a charge that he had failed to report on August 1 to the resident engineer at Okahukura. Mr. Selwyn Mays stated that the party of aliens in question had agreed to go to work at Okahukura on national work till Mr. Rawson, S-M, gave his decision. The considered decision of the magistrate resulted in a conviction against the defendants, and an order to pay 28/ costs each. The defendant and eight others of the party, said counsel, did not go to the work, although the position was explained to .them by the Court, and by their solicitor, Mr. Ostler. Defendant and five others came along to Auckland. The Commissioner, Mr. Cullen, Hunted up Vodanovich, and served him with a fresh order to take the work, but the man said he -would not go to Okahukura. Counsel said it was a case of one of the Jugoslavs trying to evade the national service with a view to going back to the old order of getting work where he could earn 10/ to 20/ a day. These aliens had to be shown that they must accept the national service; and there were yet i 1,400 men of defendant's type to be dealt ! with, and have it made clear to them I that they could not turn obstinate and :do as they liked. I Askad the reason for his action, Voda- ' novich said that he wanted work somewhere else as Okahukura was not good for his health, and the work there was too heavy for him. Vodanovich was sentenced to a month's imprisonment.