THE INGLEWOOD VOLUNTEERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12904, 8 July 1905, Page 3

THE INGLEWOOD VOLUNTEERS.

PUNISHMENT OF A MEMBER.

(From Our Parliamentary Roporter.j In the House on Tuesday afternoon Mr Jennings asked . the Defence Minister, whether he will amend the Defence Act in such a direction that it will be impossible in the future to send a volunteer to prison for 90 hours, with hard labour, which! carries with it a convict's dress ? (Note. —A member, under age, of the Inglewood! volunteers, • was fined by the officer commanding his company for non-attendance at encampment. His father refused to pay, when a warrant was issued and the volunteer was arrested by a constable, was conveyed to prison at New Plymouth, and served the term given him.) The reply/ of the Premier was as follows : — The action referred to pro-" ceeding under the statute (47 to 49 of •'The Defence Act, 1886") passed from tho military jurisdiction to the civil jurisdiction in the Magistrate's Court. Tho volunteer has full right of appeal against the military action under the statute, but appears to have, defied it at tho instigation of his parents. No appeal having been lodged, the Officer Commanding, to carry out his duties and maintenance of: discipline, was compelled to the action , now referred to. Tho honourable member's question is wrong in so far as it j states the punishment was for non- < attendance at , encampment. It was for non-attendance at a parade on the 2fith April, 1905, at the) Drill Hall, Inglewood. , Every endeavour was

made to obtain the payment of the fine before the matter was transferred by the officer in charge to the jurisdiction of the Magistrate's Court.. The law sought to be amended has been in existence some twenty years. The provisions have seldom , lam happy to say, been exercised, and only in oases where the law has been openly defied. Jn tlm o;^" =■> • <*1 was imposed. The volunteer refused to paj r it. «and his father declined to pay H. A threat was made that if the "ase was proceeded with action would be taken for wrongful imprisonment, tho father claiming to hnvn control of

the son, who coxild not be called upon' to pay the fine. The importance of having provision; made will be realised when I put it to the honourable member and ,to the House that if two or , three volunteers refused to attend drill; towards the end of the year they could by this conduct prevent v the corps from earning capitation, entailing upon it heavy financial loss that; mightlead !to disbandment and financial ruin to the officers. In conclusion, I am of the opinion that offending volunteers should be treated as debtors.