FAILURE TO ENROL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24738, 15 October 1941, Page 3

FAILURE TO ENROL

EVASION OF SERVICE RESERVIST SENT TO GAOL “ When arrested, this man was veryarrogant. and said he would take what was coming to him,” said Detective Sergeant Hall, in the City Police Court yesterday when Thomas Hand Ferguson aged 28. appeared before Mr H. J. Dixon. S.M.. and pleaded guilty to failing to enrol for military service. What the defendant had to “ take ” was a month’s imprisonment with hard labour. The defendant. Mr Hall explained, had been working as a timber-cutter on Otago Peninsula. ■ and when asked whv he had not registered, he had no excuse to offer. He knew, he said, of several others who were/in a similar position. ' Mr O. G, Stevens, on behalf of Ferguson. said there was no suggestion that he had deliberately set out to evade his obligations, or that the offence was due to anything but carelessness. The defendant had not been called in a ballot and when he did realise that he had failed to register he was afraid to tell the authorities for fear of being prosecuted. “It seems a pitv.” counsel observed, “ that there is no avenue open to men placed in such a position. Through carelessness, thev fail to carry out their obligations, and then they hesitate to go to the authorities, knowing that when thfey do proceedings will be taken against them. Tim case was not a bad one of its kind. Mr Stevens added, and the defendant was perfectly willing to join the armed forces. Remarking that the defendant did not seem anxious to meet his obligations. the magistrate imposed a sentence of one month's imprisonment with hard labour.