LABOUR LEGISLATOR IN KHAKI

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3069, 3 May 1917, Page 6

LABOUR LEGISLATOR IN KHAKI

* : ' AUSTRALIAN M.P.'s STRANGE BEHAVIOUR.

Information regarding the position or Mr. Ozaiuie, the Labour caucus member for Uorio, in tlie last Federal Parliament, and again a candidate for that seat, was recently supplied to the Press for public information by the Prime .Minister (Mr! Hughes). "This non-commissioned officer was a member of the Headquarters Company, 3rd Divisional Train. In • response to an application by him, he was sent to a school for aspirant officers at Tidworth, which ended about the beginning of November. On or about November, 1916, Mr. Ozanne returned to the Larkhill camp, whero his unit was. Ho did not report himself to any officer as was his duty, but met the orderly-room clerk, and informed him that he had not come back to duty, but intended returning again to London, as it was his intention to submit himself to a-slight surgical operation, ■which he thought' would tako at least three weeks. He merely left Larkhill, and that is the last officially heard of him. There is no question at, all that on the occasion of his return to Larkhill, in, the manner described on November 17, . Quartermaster-Sergeant Ozanne wo 11 knew that the dato of em* barkatiori of the unit was November 22, but he took no stops whatever to obtain leave, nor to accompany it to the front.' I have only to add .that this non-commissioned • officer was in . due course reported through divisional channels aB" 'absent without leave upon embarkation of division' to the Australian administrative headquarters, but the latter authority appears to have taken no action whatever in the matter, as nothing further had been hoard of him. Had his whereabouts been ascertained, and had he, as requested, been sent uncjer escort -to this division, this non-commissioned officer would have had to stand his trial for a charge which amounted to deserting the service, and if he had been found guilty of this he would have rendered himself liable to the extreme penally."