Service exemption granted man

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32561, 22 March 1971, Page 16

Service exemption granted man

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 21. A 21-year-oid Wellington man who last year went to prison for 10 days for failing to pay a fine for not attending a national service medical examination has been declared a conscientious objector.

Bruce Preston, a Government clerk, applied last year to the Conscientious Objection Committee to be registered as a conscientious objector, but this was declined by the committee. Mr Preston appeared before the committee again last week, and the application was granted. , | “At the hearing last Tuesday I just said that my position was exactly the same as it had been originally, and the implication of that is that the first decision was wrong,” Mr Preston said this evening. “From that, it would seem I have been wrongly convicted twice. Morally, at least, I ought to have the chance to at least have these convictions investigated,” he said. uHowever, this would probably be an extremely complicated procedure and Mr Preston said he did not have the money to finance such an investigation. GROUNDS ENLARGED

The important thing was that the decision appeared to have enlarged the grounds for a conscientious objection case, Mr Preston said. Pre-

Iviousy people had to object to national service on religious grounds or complete pacificism. “It appears now that someone who sincerely objects, for whatever reason, will be considered,” Mr Preston said. There is a financial penalty in the court's decision. “At the moment it appears I have to pay the difference between my wage and that of a national serviceman in training to the Government. The theory is that a person should not make financial gain out of being a conscientious objector,’’ he said.