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( " R * # | Offenders Under M.S.A. Not' Allowed to Vote in | s | x , ( Ontario ' CGemmmenserepramcertgs | | DISsCUSSION ON BILL| § s | sopmmmenirmemeeeccon agss | \ _ While the members of the l,egiS-' T!latln'e were agreed as to the desir-- Ji !abj]i[y of disqualifying det'aultersl | and Geserters under the Military| % | Service Act, they argued for an hour and a half last night as to the pro-- : per definition of the words "de-- |serter" and "defaulter." I"inally| i the bill was put in such form as to | ; >\ meet these technical objections, al-- :\ though not before the military ; \! members of the House poured much . ~! advice into the ears of the Govern-- b " ment as to the proper meaning of L. '!l army terms, '"absent without leave," 4 'iotc.. with which the politicians were * * | not familiar. | | _ _Hon. Mr. Lucas stated that the | act dealt with three classes of de-- on | faulters. There were those men who g § \ "being liable for service who were | called out, and without lawful ex-- $ | cuse failed to report"; and those | who "being ordered to report for | duty or medical examination under ithe M.S.A. fTailed to do sO®"; and | those who "had entered the service 4 . | and afterward became deserters." s M Mr. Proudfoot, the Opposition | _ Leader, contended that while he was. :3 | thoroughly in accord with having 3 : ;? E those who failed to serve their coun-- ' €5 \try dealt with as provided for in the | is |act, it was contrary to the British | s s constitution that a man should be | , considered guilty before he had been | * o o wug | proven so. He pointed out the dif-' | ficulty of having all defaulters pro--| »3o k it ! secuted. It was pointed out by sev-- | "exp o | eral speakers that there were those | A | who were listed on the Departmentl : | of Militia lists as "deserters'" who s ' | would be found to be overseas or in' | some other branch of the service | :,.'i'v'a ~--when the truth became known. ! J sz Gone to the Woods. | 3 -' 4 Government speakers said that| . :s# | while this might be true there were | " HELP .. A * many men who had taken to the | ' S0e / 4# Je woods and had not been ('aught.\ * xk 38. <« MHowever,. if men did not come out: s * | of the woods to vote there would | / ®e" | be no penalty; itewould only be af--|' 14 | ter they voted that they could be x' * | prosecuted under this act. It was | frMRAE 380 n ) | 2 ~ s | K § °s #> ;te]t . by ; Mr. Beniah Bowman of | y .j%{, ;. i.\lamtouh-. that the names of de-- f 'rfaulté'rs should not go on the voters' .. y lists at all. If they did there'might + [be a tendency after the election on s1 . * * 'Ethe part of some partizans to use !.;;r;( the act as a means of scaring away fae k--from the polls those properly enti-- "-f":{'v'Q" 'tlerd. to exercise their franchise. ?' 1 Discussion of the punishment to '.;,;"; | be inflicted on those convicted un-- g F' der the act followed. Mr. Allan t ;, Studholme of East Hamilton re-- ~zef) | ferred to the Skidmore case in 3 z" | Stratford, and said the measure f & "yut JWOHM provide for punishment of 4 f ':,'_-~ persons convicted of seditious or 1# | treasonable offences. While Skid-- t 1gs ' more had been released after a short ' wo Te , period in jail his conviction stood ' . 9_"3,.., 'and he would be disfranchised. * \. -- | _ The Attorney--General admitted Ts | that occasionally there might be an C\ : imdlvndual case _ where hardship t>. ies | would result, but his answer was * ' +m | that individual cases could be cited ~ Hiaga*| :4 | against any law of general applica-- | l 4 ' tion. The bill was finall ss | ® 4\ i eove y passed. | : } ; i ,{,f,' t aermmearanmessrantinurreanmemenmnsennieireesmenerenunmuensmenmecreme--es ! ',;f,,',t' e j : 5X : e * El y f U"»?:'\' h F4 ". F k # + * oo o4 ~ 35 x -- o se