UNWILLING SOLDIER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8183, 26 July 1912, Page 1

UNWILLING SOLDIER

DISREGARDS FINE "THEY ABE PUTTING ME DOWN" CHESS ASSOCIATION. DUNEDIN, July 25. William Mclntyre, aged niucteen yearn, appeared iu the .Magistrate's Court this morning on a judgment summons issued by the Defence Department to compel him to pay a fine of 10s, which , was imposed upon him for failing to attend paiades.. Court costs bad increased the sum demanded to 18s. Captain Eraser, wno appeared for the officer commanding the -ltd Kegiment, said the lad had given, as reasons. for objecting to service that he was probably. not medically lit. i±o also said he <Muld not pay the tine because be bad to - shpport . his 1 mother. , Mclntyre sepd that .he .was a laborer.. He had received 6s'a day for. the past month, and prior' to- that 32s 6d a week; Since receiving; '.the major mini he ban., ‘ gj.v£n' his;; nVoJtljer' (Whose ■ Itysbahdwas • away. '.from..home*, and. contributed..nbthingj as much- as a weekV-' while ' wnen ho had received 32«-6d a; week ha gave ■ uer from 25s to 3<te. ■ , . C . Cross-examination showed that - defendant had been to one parade, and .that the medical examination preyed him to be The’ magistrate, Mr Widdowflon, addressing'the defendant, said: ‘lt seems to me that you aio shaping a course that, if vou persist-in it, will leau «« a result disastrous physically as well as morally. ■ You admit that you have taken two or three drinks. We know what that means. My strong advico to you is to pull youreelf up." Defendant (scornfully): How can 1 iull myself up if they are putting me down?” , , ~ . Mi- Widdowson: / The best thing, you can do is to submit cheerfully." - Defendant (doggedly): ”1 will never, never do that now!" Mr Widdowson: “I do not know how far you have been paying your motner the whole of your wages to defeat purposes of the fine- You are right to heln your mother, but it is quite clear that you. could have paid the fine. It has got to bo paid, and I shall make an order that you ; pay at the rat© of 5s per fortnight... If you do not you will be . imprisoned tor. twenty-iour Widdowson added that it might be advisable -in these cases to get attachment orders on wages lest the defendants should take the alternative.