ALLEGED DEFAULTERS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15917, 2 June 1917, Page 2

ALLEGED DEFAULTERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —In your issue of tho 21st inst. there appeared the name of Robert Christopher Dobson,. blacksmith, of Ashburton, in the list of alleged defaulters. Now, in fairness to my son and his friends in general. I deem it my duty to publicly give, through the n:odium of your valued paper, the true facts regarding his case. On the first of February, 1917, my son enlisted and was passed by the Medical Board at Timaru, and was posted to the South Canteibury Group to report at Ashburton on April 11th. He answered th© roll-fall on that date, and forthwith proceeded to Trentham as a member of tho 23th Rrinforcrmcnts, and has been in camp ever since. As a matter of fact my son enlisted several times previous to being parsed by the board. T consider a great injustice has be?n done him and his familv by being gazetted a defaulter when the facts are truly known. Upon making enquiries at Trrntham, I ffrid that no effort has made bv the Defmce Authorities to find out if thf -person j?nmcd was really in camp. Of course, as you mention ir your local on the Rubj-ct, mis- | takes do happen, hut I am firmly convince r l had the Department exercised the slightest troi'Ve. all this deplorbu«in r P<i would have been averted. ! The authorities in Trentham, as far as 1 I can learn, are not_ to *blame. the trouble ,' n South CanterIrnry. Group No. 10. where my snn answered the ro-l-'a'l. —Yours. RICHARD DOBSON. Amherley.