Twenty Recruits At Wellington

Northern Advocate, 14 November 1941, Page 4

Twenty Recruits At Wellington

fPer Press Association.—Copyright] WELLINGTON, This Day. Twenty men, some of whom had already been fined or imprisoned as military defaulters, appeared before Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., yesterday charged with failing to comply with a military order and were committed to defaulters’ detention. They are the first committals made from Wellington. The charge was i that at Trentham camp, being members of the Second N.Z.E.F., they failed to render the service required of them in that they failed to comply with an order lawfully given to parade for the purpose of receiving clothing, or for medical examination. The charge was laid under the national service emergency regulations. Net Conscientious Objectors The accused were Ronald James Frank Armstrong, Nathan Sydney Beatus, Royal Neal Bidlake, Clarence Alfred Board, John Cameron, Hugh Houston Dempsey, Gord Stuart Doig, Evan Morgan Evans, Raymond 3*lrmson, Patrick James Houri■gan, Robert Duncan, William McCallum, Kenneth Aubrey Frank Mason, Ronald Claverley Meggett, James Olds, Harry Edgar Palmer, Bert Powell and Hiram Gartside Sweeney, all of whom pleaded guilty, and Hugh William Kelly, John William Rogers and John Thomas Magurk, each of whom refused to plead. The magistrate said: “This court does not go into the question of whether you are a defaulter. You have your right of appeal. You are not conscientious objectors within the meaning of the law, because you have had your appeal dismissed.” Rogers, on saying that he felt unable to accept detention, brought the reply: “I am afraid you will have to. It is not a question of what you will accept. You have disobeyed an order and you are liable to defaulters' detention.” None of the accused were represented by counsel. j