DEFAULTING RESERVISTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16589, 12 July 1917, Page 4

DEFAULTING RESERVISTS.

MISTAKES IN GAZETTE LIST. [BY TELEGRAPH. SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT "\ WELLINGTON. "Wednesday. The mistakes in the gazetted liste of defaulting reservists -were referred to in the House of Representatives to-day by Mr. R. McCallum (Wairau), who urged that an effort should be made to prevent their recurrence. He suggested that local authorities such as the patriotic bodies should be asked to make inquiries as to whether the men named were actually shirkers or not. He mentioned the case of one man gazetted as a shirker who had been 10 months in France, and who had risen to the. rank of sergeant. Mr. McCallum warned the Minister that probably an action for slander might be brought in respect of such mistakes.

Sir James Allen said that the Department was doing all it could to make these lists as accurate as possible, but it seemed to be practically impossible to make them perfect or accurate. The lists had been delayed until the last moment, in order that "the Department might find out whether certain men ought to be included in the list or not. He would be very glad to extend the inquiries so long as it was not made impossible to get the lists published. The object of publishing the list was to ensure that all First Division men went to the front before the Second Division was called up.