A FIRMER HAND WITH DEFAULTERS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 119, 15 February 1944, Page 4

A FIRMER HAND WITH DEFAULTERS

It would seem from the tone of the statement by the Minister of Justice (Mr. Mason) concerning the recent strengthening of the regulations governing the detention of military defaulters, that the Government is for some reason fearful of public criticism on this matter. In disclosing that, of late, there had beep a number of escapes from defaulters’ detention camps, the Minister said all that was necessary to justify the introduction of stricter methods. The assurance that the majority of men undergoing detention, as a penalty for refusing to serve their country, are “complying with the rules laid down,” is beside the point—-which is that some of these men are doing e °ln dealing.with this fractious minority it should not be deemed necessarv to say that “there was no alternative but to have. recourse to additional provisions.” The fact should go without saying. Escapees from defaulters’ detention have doubly defied the law, and merit special penalty. Far from being critical of measures taken to restrain those who have broken out of the camps, and to deter others of their kind, the majority of people may be expected to regard the former absence of effective provisions to deal with defiant defaulters as being significant of the Government’s hesitancy and earlier halt.heartedness. , . Under the amended regulations the Courts are empowered to “transfer a defaulter to prison for the duration of the war, on the ground that he escaped or repeated an attempt, to escape. I his is the least that could be done; indeed, it is surprising that in the past the Courts have lacked authority to order such transfers. Fron accounts, men in detention camps—notwithstanding the fact t y their attitude they have forfeited all claim on the community—are living comfortably and well on the public bounty. The conditions and amenities they enjoy are. comparable with those m military tiai & camps, and the privileges they have been granted are beyond any extended to inmates of civil prisons. There should be no question of returning escapees to this privileged segregation. Equally—as further provided in the amended regulations—there should be no doubt as to the culpability of outside persons who incite or assist escapes, 01 who shelter or aid escapees. A month or two ago the police, after a difficult and expensive search in a North Island rural district, anestec one of a number of military defaulters who had been engaged m manufacturing illicit liquor-apparently with the connivance of other persons, who supplied food and materials. These defaulter may 01 may not previously have been inmates of detention camps; but. in any case it would be monstrous that persons guilty of sustaining them let alone assisting them further to defraud the community, should have anv loophole for the evasion of punishment. . It was mentioned by the Minister that the new regulations provide for the detention in prison of escapee defaulters after the termination of the war” for the period of.time lost during their escape. This mav be taken to mean that the Government intends to release, immediately the war ends, those defaulters who have not been guilty of additional misdemeanours. Thus it serves to raise once again tie question of the post-war status of men who have deliberately refused to serve in the armed forces. The opinion that defaulters shou automatically be deprived of certain civil rights, including tie can chise, for a substantial post-war perjod, has been expressed by several groups, including the U.S.A. It is an opinion which has been widely supported, and should be endorsed by Parliament.