MILITARY TRAINING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17475, 20 May 1920, Page 5

MILITARY TRAINING.

ITIIL.iI/-sni i iinimnui MANY DEFAULTERS FINED. Failure to attend drill was the substanc* of charges brought {.gainst about 50 younf men who appeared in the Police Couri yesterday, before Mr. J. W. Poynton S.M. The magistrate stated that whili reasonable consideration would be givei to cases of hardship, the law would bi rigorously enforced wherever the defen dants were found to be shirking thai] obligations. In two instances, where thi defendants were almcst of age and hac been twice previously fined for failure t< attend drill, Mr. Poynton said that if thi offenders were again convicted by hin they would be deprived of their civi right l ?, in the matter of voting especially for ten years. Substantial fines were in flicted in theso cases. Thirteen of the de fendants were each fined £5, with th< alternative of 28 days' military detention The other fines imposed varied from 30s t< £3 each. Sixty-nine applications foi exemption from drill were also heard. It the majority of cases undue hardship wa ! roved and exemptions granted nnti anuaiy 1 next. A number of student were granted exemption, the magistral intimating that the Defence Departmen was making arrangements to have specia training periods set aside for them.