THE SHIRKERS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 137, 6 December 1918, Page 10

THE SHIRKERS

I DEPRIVATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS PROVISIONS OF A BILL When the section covering militar> defaulters, in the Expeditionary Forces Amendment Bill, was being discussed in the House of Representatives yesterday, members, with two or three exceptions, spoke emphatically in favour of the deprivation of civil rights from shirkers. The Bill provides that a military defaulters* lipt is to be prepared by the Minister o£ Defence, containing the names, occupations, and abodes of all men who, since the commencement of the war: (a) have been convicted by court-martial of any offence of such a nature as to indicate, in the opinion of the Minister, an intent permanently to evade or refuse to fulfil their obligations of military servioe in the present war; or (b) having been called up for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force under the Military Service Act, 1916, have deserted from the Force or have otherwise made default in the performance of the obligations imposed on them by or in pursuance of that Act in such manner as to indicate, in the opinion of the Minister, an intent permanently to evade or refuse to fulfil their obligations of military service in the present war;. or (c) having been members of the Expeditionary Force Reserve constituted by the Military Service Act, 1916, have illegally evaded enrolment in that reserve in such circumstances as to indicate, in tho opinion of the Minister, an intent permanently to evade military service in the present war. Military defaulters are. deprived of civii lights for ten years, and are incapable' of holding any office or employment in the service of the Crown, or any local or public authority; or of being elected or appointed to Parliament or any local body, or of voting for members of Parliament or tlocal bodies. Any defaulter absent from New Zealand on the passing of the Act may be arrested without warrant on his return to New Zealand, and shall be liable to imprisonment for twelve months. Any change of name by a defaulter within ten years shall also be punishable by twelve months' imprisonment. No man is to be placed or returned • on the defaulters list 'if the Minister is satisfied that hie conviction by courtmartial was due to his bona, fide religious objections to military service, and an appaal on the ground that a name • has been entered in error may be heard by a Stipendiary Magistrate. Sir James Allen said that a man who had refused to fight for his country should not have the ordinary civil rights. Mr. M'Combs (Lyttelton) said that if disfranchisement was to be inflicted on military shirkers the same treatment should be given to financial shirkers. "The franchise was a sacred thing," and should not be removed in a democratic country. It was difficult for any member of the House, at five minutes' notice, to discuss in detail the provisions of such an important Bill. He objected to the rushing tactics with the Rill. Mr. El! (Christchurch South) said he could- not understand why anybody should plead the cause of the shirkers. Even among schoolboys the one who did not play the game would be chased from the playground. The people who left tha country in the lurch did not deserve to be permitted to return. The country wa3 amply justified in depriving such persons of the right to vote.

111". Harris (Wnitcmata) asked whether the Minister would have the deprivation of civil rights extended to persons who had been convicted of sedition during the ~wai\ ■ ,'■ ' -' ' • '■■ ■ '

Mr Anderson (Mat-aura) said that he would favour a deportation of shirkers. Mr. Isitt: Who will take them? Mr. Anderson : Dump them on. some island. They are no good to us. Another member: Germany will take them. Mr. Fraser (Wellington Central) put |«in a plea for "conscientious objectors" (on religious cr other grounds). He said that the attitude of the House i savoured of '"Prussian vindictiveness." ; Mr Isitt: The Bill deals with defaulters, not conscientious objectors. Replying to the suggestion that persons convicted of sedition should be deprived of civil rights, Mr. Fraser remarked that the Government had introduced war regulations which obtained convictions for acts or words termed ■'^editions,' 1 which would not be seditious in the ordinary sense. High legal authorilies had questioned the Validity of such regulations. Mr. Isitt (Christchurch North)' said that he had always opposed the infliction of cruelty on religions objectors, but he believed strongly that military defaulters should not have voting rights. Mr. Statlmm (D.unedin Central) said that "conscientious objectors," who had no objection to enjoying the benefits of other men's fighting, should not have the right of the franchise. "The financial shirker is a bigger rogue than the ono who refuses to fight," said Mr. Witty, "because the rich man shelters himself behind his wealth." Such financial shirkers should be disfranchised. ■ "I believe that the man who refuses to serve his country should be shot," said the Hon. Dr. Pomare. ' A member: The British are not a eavagc people. Dr. Pomare: Some gentlemen are not British. Several members gave an opinion that the appeal clause might not give sufficient opportunity of appeal in some cases. The basis should be widened The Minister said that he would look into the clause, covering the right of appeal in respect to the defaulters' list. Anything which was regarded as necessary in the. interests of justice, would be embodied in a clause to be submitted to the Legislative Council, and the House would have an opportunity of reviewing the matter when the clause came back from the Council. The defaulter clauees were passed in Committee.