THE DEFENCE ACT.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 4203, 11 April 1912, Page 5

THE DEFENCE ACT.

QUESTION OF ENFORCEMENT

Electric Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Replying to a representative deputation which urged the enforcement of the compulsory principle of the Defence Act, the Hon. A. M. Myers said flint so long as he was tho Defence Minister it was clearly his duty to see that the lan was carried out. Only a small minority of the people of the Dominion were opposed to military training. In regard to imprisonment, the Alinister said it was not the intention of the Legislature that failure to comply with the Act should involve imprisonment. but failure to pay the fine brought about that result. The majority of those imprisoned had served their sentences, but in regard to the ten whose sentences varied from four to 14 days Cabinet had remitted a portion of the sentence. Every man who refused to pay the fine was going to be imprisoned, hut he pointed out that in the eases under review each man had served a portion of his sentence, and the law to that extent had been vindicated. An amendment of tin Act was contemplated to provide some other penalty ’ than imprisonli ent. Tho Government would endeavour to make the scheme an unqualified success. POSITION TN AUSTRALIA. MINISTER’S FTRM ATTITUDE. (Received this day at 10.15 a.m.) Sydney, This Dav.

Senator Pearce, the Commonwealth Defence Minister, states that at. the proper time steps will he taken to bring cadets shirking drills to book.