MILITARY “BLACK LIST.”

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17360, 6 January 1920, Page 6

MILITARY “BLACK LIST.”

MAN WHO Return HOME,

; UNUSUAL' CIRCUMSTANCES.

' MAGISTRATE SUGGESTS APPEAL.

, A case coming under the Military Service Amendment Act of 1918 was heard in the Police Court yesterday, when a young ships' fireman named Louis David Nixon (Mr. A. Moody) was charged, before Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., with haying failed to parade for medical examination, and with having returned to New Zealand within 10 years after his name had been placed on the defaulters' list. He pleaded not guilty.

Sub-inspector Wohlraann stated that the Act was a particularly 1 drastic one, for a defaulter, officially gazetted, was deprived of his civic rights, liable to be deported, and if that wire carried out he must not return to the Dominion for 10 years. In this case Nixon, who lived with his people at Kingsland, had been in New Zealand when the Military Service Act was passed in 1916, but when called up in 1918 he failed to parade. Some time later his name appeared on the "black list." Recently, however, he came home to visit bis people. Therein lay the offence. After evidence had been called counsel stated that the accused had been at sea since he was 14 years' of age, and bore an excellent character. He had been continually engaged at sea, often on troopships, and had at first been given exemption, as he was required on the Talune. Upon his being called up a second time, however, the Military Service Board ordued him to' camp in a month's time. But in the meantime a fireman was urgently required on the Whangape, and the accused filled .the position, and sailed for Newcastle. He had no intention, counsel submitted, of avoiding service. "Until his name is off that list," said the magistrate, "his return to New Zealand is prohibited, I cannot override the Act. But it does not seem to be a case of a man having tried to avoid service. Nixon stems to have done a foolish thing, but we cannot go into that; it can be advanced only in an appeal." The magistrate adjourned the case for two months to give Nixon a chance of appealing to have his name removed from the "black list." On tho charge of having failed to parade he was handed over to tho military authorities.