FAILED TO ENROL

Grey River Argus, 28 April 1942, Page 3

FAILED TO ENROL

Greymouth Man Fined % EMPLOYER ALSO CONVICTED. Fo" failing to enrol an the National Reserve, being a member of Class A, SamueJ Arthnr Rose, of Greymouth was convicted and fined £2 with 10/- costs by. Mr. G. G. Ch faholm S.M. at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at Greymouth, yesterday. His employer, Cyril KeiJi Yeatmanl, was also conwcteSd and fined £3 and 10/- costs for employ ing reservist while he was not r °Mr d ‘ E. B. E. Taylor appeared for both accused and pleaded guilty.. Senior Sergeant G. F. Bomschsa d Rose was a single man aged 27 year, therefore being a reservist in Class A. The fact that he was- not en rolled Jiad been brought before the notice of the Director of Na Service by an anonymous letter He was then interviewed by Constable q S Murray to whom he admitted tjiat t he haZnever made for enrolment and was not registered under the Social Security Ac . » lived at Arney Street with his par ents and had been employed by a liome Itrajner, yeatman, since December 1941. Yeatman admitted that he had never asked , Rose to show his certificate of or his Social Security book. Rose received 25/- a week clear. He < very illiterate and after his state ment was made he could not sign his name to is having to mark < cross. Nothing was previously known against efither defendant. Mr. Taylor said Yeatman had onl} arrived at Greymouth 18 months ago when he employed Rose. He should enrolled or not but as he had been enroled or not but as he had been employed by other men beforehand he assumed that he had registered according to the Actt. The onlj time he mentioned the matter to Rose was after the last single men s ballot. Rose was often known as Jim Rose and when Yeatman saw that name in the ballot he thought it was his employee’s. However he was blamable in not making certain. ‘As far as Rose was concerned his offence was more serious, but his case was most unusual. He naa never been through standard one, as he had suffered a large amount ot illness. He went through the primers at Cobden, but contracted double pneumonia. He had worked round town and locally in connection ,wi'th horses since .an early a'ge and had never earned more than 25/- a week. He could neither read nor write and felt his disability. When his friends went away with the Second Echelon he wanted to go with them but he did not want to go to the Defence Department and admit his disability. He had only known recently he nad t 0 register and not when the regulations came out, as he depended on conversation to find out the news. He did not register then owing to - personal embarrassment. His father was aged 85 years and his mother 75. He had a brother at sea’ and a married sister at Geymouth. He had no desire to avoid service. Counsel asked that the facts be taken into consideration as it Was not a deliberate evasion, but the result of a lack of education. The Magistrate: What chance has Rose of passing a medical board it he was called up? Defendant said he had not been examined for a.' long time. The Magistrate: It certainly is an unusual case. The circumstances take it out of the class of a deliberate evasion. In the case of the employer he was negligent in not ascertaining his employee’s position. There is an obligation on the employer to see that his men are registered. Of course ne had employed Rose some twelve months after, the coming .into force of the regulations. He will be convicted and fined £3, with 10/- costs while Rose will be convicted and fined £2 and 10/costs.