FAILED TO ENROL

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1941, Page 8

FAILED TO ENROL

MAN AND EMPLOYERS CONVICTED. Charged with fading to enrol in Class A of the National Reserve, Reginald Hall, aged 31 years, a miner, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court at Greymouth yesterday. . H’S employer's, Grey Valley Collieries Ltd., (Mr. J. W. Hannan) pleaded guilty of a charge of employing Hall when not enrolled. Senior Sergeant G. F. Bonish. prosecuting, said that Hall was eligible for Class 1 of the Reserve, and had been employed by Grey Valley Collieries Ltd. for two years and eight months. He made his first application for enrolment on July 3 1941, whereas it should have been made in the previous August. As a result he was granted a certificate of enrolment. It appeared that the company made frequent enquiries from its employees regarding enrolment, and it was because oi these, that the defendant had enrolled. Accused was illiterate, and kept putting the company off till they had taken him to the Post Office and got him to make the application. A memorandum from the Director of National Service asked that a conviction only be entered. They appeared tc be satisfied with the 'action taken by the company in the matter. Mr. Hannan said that Hall, being a miner, would have been exempt from service had an appeal been lodged by the company, and it was difficult to understand why there had been proceedings against the company. The company had 200 employees and it was difficult to check all of them up. Mr. Hannan read a letter sent by the Company to the Director which 't was stated that the company had lot received the full co-operation of she men They had done all they could short of a stoppage of work which was not desired. In reply to tho Magistrate (Mr. G. G. Chislom S.M.), Hall said he iiftd not been asked for a certilicate before in other jobs. He admitted Jiat he had not registered before. The Magistrate: I can understand the suggestion of the Department regarding the employers because it is ~ matter on which they used their Discretion. I am net prepared to creat Hall differently from other cases unless some reason is shown. I require something to go on because I must be consistent and I have lined ethers £lO on similar charges. After reading a statement made by accused to the police the Magistrate isaid that probably accused could not read the papers. Each defendant would be convicted and ordered to pay Court costs 10/-.