MILITARY DEFAULTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19731, 2 September 1927, Page 13

MILITARY DEFAULTERS.

WAR-TIME ACT REPEALED. CIVIL RIGHTS RESTORED. " CLEANING SLATE COMPLETELY." [BX TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER. ] WELLINGTON. Thursday. The removal of the civil disabilities imposed on military defaulters in 1918 was agreed to by the House to-night, when the War Disabilities Removal Bill was put rough committee. The Attorney-General, Hon. F. J. Rolleston, said in addition to removing the disabilities on alien enemy teachers and enemy immigrants and on the rights of women married to alien enemies in obtaining a divorce, the Government had decided it would be as well to clean the slate completely. Under the Act of 1918 it was exacted that military defaulters should be deprived of their civil rights for a period of 10 years, the term to expire on December 10 of nest year. If that Act was not repealed now it would mean that the men concerned would really be deprived their civil rights for an additional period of three years, as they would miss the vote at the Parliamentary election next year. Replying to the Leader of the Nationalists, Mr. G. W. Forbes, the Minister said as far as could be learned there were now only about 20 men in the Dominion who were affected by the Act of 1918. Mr. A. Harris (Waitemata) divided the House on the question whether the disability on alien enemy teachers should be removed. ,He considered that if it was right to remove the disability now the House had done an injustice to the teachers affected when ib passed the Act. He contended it was dangerous to hand over the training of the youth of the Dominion to a man like a professor of Victoria College who had refused to revoke his German nationality and who had tnerefore to give up his position. Mr. Harris' amendment that the disability on teachers should remain was defeated by 47 votes to 13. The bill was then passed.