RETURNED SOLDIERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 March 1922, Page 3

RETURNED SOLDIERS

CAN THEY BE EVICTED? Can a returned soldier bo evicted ? That was the poser put by Mr. J. F. B. Stevenson to Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. at Wellington last week, and His Worship confessed himself unable to solve the riddle off-hand. The occasion was the action of Archibald Lawrie, commercial traveller, against William Robinson, of Riddiford street, cycle dealer, who served his country overseas, for possession of a dwelling, No. 61, Riddiford street, in the lower court yesterday. The plaint ill’s need, as explained by Mr. E. Hogg, was to have the house for his own occupation under the Housing Act of last session. Mr. Stevenson contended that the provisions of the War Legislation and Housing Act still remained in force as far as returned soldiers were concerned, and that His Worship had no jurisdiction to make an order for eviction of a soldier who had served overseas. Mr. Hogg, on the other hand, submitted that the special protection for soldiers had been repealed. Air. Stevenson then outlined his grounds of defence. The Housing Act of 1921, he said, had specifically enlarged to December, 1922, the provisions of part 1 of the War Legislation Act, 1916, and its amendments, ono of which, as is well known, was the absolute protection of returned soldiers from ejectment proceedings. “The Labour Department has written to the Returned Soldiers’ Wssocia lion stating that the exemption <,f soldiers has been discontinued,” was the statement of His Worship. “I don’t care what the department say, sir,” replied counsel, ‘‘the. Act is there.” ‘‘Very well, we’ll sec about it,” said the magistrate, who expressed himself uncertain on tho point, and cTetemilncd to reserve his decision,