RESERVISTS CHARGED

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 298, 13 September 1941, Page 4

RESERVISTS CHARGED

Two Sent To Jail FINE IN ANOTHER CASE Ronald Calverley Meggett, a reservist, pleaded guilty in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, yesterday, before Mr. Luxford, S.M., to failing to report. Sub-Inspector L. R. Capp said that Meggett was a Jehovah’s Witness and every time he was advised to attend for medical examination he refused. His appeals for territorial and overseas service had been dismissed. Defendant read a letter from the Minister of Defence. Mr. Jones, dealing wit.i the setting up of defaulters' camps and he asked for an adjournment, till the camps were ready. He was willing to go to such a camp, he said, but would have nothing to do with the Army. A sentence of one month’s imprisonment was imposed.. Charged with failing to enrol in the first division of the general reserve, Michael David O’Brien, barman (Mr. T. P. McCarthy), pleaded guilty. Defendant, who was 30 years of age, was married on July 26, 1940, said SubInspector Capp, and he admitted he was aware that he was classed as a single man and was required to- register. He said he had filled in a form in August. 1940. Defendant had filled in his registration form and had given it to a friend to post, said Mr. McCarthy, and it was only when the hotel where he was employed had changed hands that he had been asked for his enrolment certificate. He had then gone to the authorities and asked about it. Defendant had since been examined and classed C2, for service in New Zealand. He might have been negligent but his was a different case from those who were consciously striving to evade their responsibilities. The magistrate imposed a fine of £5, with costs 13/-. A sentence of one month’s imprison ment was imposed on James Wilfred Warburton, a reservist, for failing to report. He was stated by Sub-Inspector Capp to be a conscientious objector whose appeal against territorial service had been dismissed.

Warburton said he had been called up in the last overseas ballot and his appeal had not yet been heard. If he were sent to jail on the present charge, he would have no opportunity to present his case on appeal. A military sergeant told the Court that the default with which Warburton was charged was in respect of attending for medical examination, an obligation on all reservists, irrespective of whether they appealed. The magistrate: You have quite made up your minj that you are not going to obey orders? Warburton: Yes.

The magistrate: Well, you’ll go to jail for a month.