PETITIONER CLAIMS £500 AND PUBLIC REINSTATEMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17906, 23 July 1926, Page 4

PETITIONER CLAIMS £SOO AND PUBLIC REINSTATEMENT.

(Special to the “ Star. ”) WELLINGTON, July 22. A petition in which William Arthur Painter-d’Oridant, billiard saloon manager, Lincoln Road, Christchurch, prays for compassionate allowance of £SOO and public acknowledgment of his reinstatement in his Majesty’s forces after dismissal, was presented by Mr Howard. Petitioner sets out that prior to February, 1918. he was a fisherman at Oamaru. making £ls a week. He joined the forces as a corporal and had charge of his own motor-boat in Wellington harbour. After three months, he. was persuaded by his superior officer to sell the boat to the Government for £2MO. In August, 191 S. the boat collided with a troopship when a certain officer was at the wheel of the launch in an alleged drunkeir condition. Petitioner reported the incident and next day was dismissed. Later he was arrested on a charge of falsely accusing the officer and was imprisoned for thirty days. After his release he was courtmartialled, sentenced to twenty-eight days' detention and reduced to the ranks. Later he made representations and received £196 from the Government, plus £2B allowance for his family as the sum he would have received had he not been dismissed. Although he was publicly dismissed he was never, he alleges, publicly reinstated and had suffered humiliation as a result. He seeks compassionate allowance for a miscarriage of justice and to enable him to return to his former trade.