MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3571, 4 October 1916, Page 7

MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS.

LABOUR PARTIS NOMINEES

WELLINGTON, October _ 3

" With regard .to the appointment of the Military Service Boards," said the Hon. James, Allen (Minister of Defence) to-day, "some people 'scorn to have an idea in their minds, especially'in Auckland/that the reason why 'no gentlemen of the Labour Party, or gentlemen suggested by the LabourParty in Auckland, were appointed by the boards was because-'of the attitude of the Auckland Labour people themselves after they met mo up there. I want to disabuse their minds of any such notion. So far as the names sub-. mitted to us wore, concerned,''the attitude of these people at that meeting made not the sKghtest.difference.:; We considered those names just as we considered the other names, and .as a matter of fact it is almost certain that one gentleman whose name was submitted to .us* would have been appointed hut.for the fact that he was under 4o years of a /re, and therefore'did not comply with the rules laid down for nur p;nirl:v!i^e, that no..man. of military j .'l'io r-hvui he a member of a' militnrv | ''"■trd: in f:)».i, two Labour' men (Mr i T'heTan. seoretary of the Titii>"r Workers' Onion, and Mr George Davies), who w<>re very m'irbly reeomTnendwl 1;o ns. wnr/> very farnnrably considered, hnt Iwth were ineligible on that account." ■ '