DEFAULTING RESERVISTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 73, 19 December 1917, Page 6

DEFAULTING RESERVISTS

A LIST ISSUED. A list of about 400 defaulting First Division reservists has been issued ly the Recruiting Board, and is being ciroulated widely for general information. It contains the names of men who have been drawn in ballots, who have foiled to report, and for whom warrants have been issued. Tho warrants were outstanding on October 17, 1917. Any person who has information regarding the whereabouts of these men should communicate .with the Defence Department. It undoubtedly is a fact that many of the men named in the defaulters' list are not in New Zealand. They registered under tho National Registration Act in 1915, but had left before restrictions were placed upon the departure of raon of military age in 1916. This applies particularly to seamen, stokers, shearers, and form workers. But on the other hand there are in the list the names of men who 'are evading service by keeping out of the way of "the authorities.

An illustration of how a man -nay be named wi'ongfullv in the defaulters' list Is provided bv the case of a certain seaman. This maii\ happened to be on a ship in a New Zealand port when National Register was being compiled, and he was registered. Then his ship sailed, and lie did not return to New Zealand until quite recently. But in the meantime he had been drawn in a ballot. He had failed' to make his appearance, quite naturally, and a warrant had been issued for his arrest. The man, when ho reached the Dominion the second time, did not know that he was wanted bv the Defence authorities. He planned to enter the coastal service hero, was told that he would have to register, and called at the office of the Government Statistician to fill up the necessary form. He did not mention that he had registered before,- A few hours later he was arrested in Wellington on the old warrant, and held for four davs before he succeeded in establishing the facts. He had acted in rtood faith throughout, and so had the Defence authorities.