“SOMETHING DOING.”

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 November 1924, Page 2

“SOMETHING DOING.”

MILITARY DEFAULTER'S LOSS. FORFEITURE OF A CONTRACT. THE BLACK-LISTED BRIGADE. DUNEDIN, Nov. 22. There was expectation that thei’e would be “something doing” at a meeting of x the City Council in connection with a contract for the erection of reticulation poles let at a previous meeting to Mr. Patrick Cody, of lliyersdale, who, while by far the lowest tenderer, was a military defaulter during the war. However, events took a turn that debarred councillors from airing their views on the. action taken at the meeting a fortnight ago. The matter came Up when a letter was read from the Returned Soldiers’ Association executive, asking that a deputation be heard in regard to the contract. Bearing on the same matter was a letter from Messrs. Smith and Dolamore, solicitors, Gore. The letter stated that the writers had been consulted by. Mr. Patrick Cody. He had informed them that the town clerk had directed his attention to the provisions of section 13 of the Expeditionary Force Amendment Act, 1918, providing that military defaulters are incapable of being appointed to, or of holding any office or employment in the service of any local or other publicauthority. It was also provided" by the Act that if any person deprived of civil rights accepted or attempted to accept any employment for which he he was disqualified, he was liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term of not exceeding twelve months. In view of the wide terms of the section, and of the grave doubt whether Mr. Cody’s contract came within the provisions of the Act, the writers asked that Mr. Cody should be relieved of any obligation under tlie contract. A member of the Returned Soldiers’ Association said members of the association executive had been astonished to see the number of defaulters’ names in the “Gazette” of December 10, 1918. Most of the defaulters were still overseas. So surprised were they that they were going to approach the headquaters of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ . Association with the suggestion that the names should he printed and ex- ' hibited in every Returned Soldiers’ Association, office and clubroom through- , out the country. Further they were going to suggest to headquat«r& that the Government he approached to have ■ the Expeditionary Force Amendment Act, section 13, so amended as. to remove all doubt as to defaulters receiving any pecuniary benefit from public bodies or the Government until the last hour of December 10. 1928, had ■ struck.