ARMED FORCES APPEAL BOARD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 280, 7 March 1941, Page 5

ARMED FORCES APPEAL BOARD

Sitting for the second day at i Whakatane both the Atmed Forces Appeal Board and the Manpower * Committee heard cases at the local 'Courthouse yesterday. The Appeal r p r Jgoard was at Whakatane on Tues■•day and Opotiki on Wednesday, while the Committee was operating on Wednesday and Thursday in this . town. Fisherman's Plea Public interest and undue hardship were the grounds of an appeal -on behalf of Frank Hamilton Visj. kavich (Mr G. Otley) of the Whakatanc Fisheries. Mr Peter Coutts employer stated that he supplied Whakatane, Rotorua and Opotiki markets as a wholesale and retail fish stated that he had difficulty in obtaining licensed fishermen and if "Viskovich was taken he would piobably have to tis his boat up. To Mr Seymour, Mr Coutts said that he was not a fisherman himself and if Viskovich became ill could not carry on in while he "was absent. Replying to the chairman he said he had not made any k effort to train any men. His average , catch was about t*'o baskets (1001b) a, week more than half of which ■was used in Whakatane, and onethird to Rotorua. Appeal dismissed providing appellant is not called before May 1. Question of Status The establishment of the fact that -Tieremeti Merito was a full blooded -Maori gained a granting of the appeal against sen ice. Appellant Under Age Mr A. D. Dysart appeared to state that his son, Archibald Gordon Dysart, was under 21 years and his appeal was allowed on the of status.

Public Interest Public interest was the basis of .an appeal of Norman A. Theobald (Mir Suckling) it being stated that if he was called the farm he was I -working could not be carried on. The appeal was supported by the Director of National Service. Adjourned sine die. Dai,ry Co's Difficulty The secretary of the Rangitaikk Plains Dairy Co., Mr R. E. Blair, appealed against the calling up of \ Ivan Roy Newman, stated that the had already lost 12 men who had entered the forces and a further four men were to leave in \April for territorial training. At present men were not always reliable and only just to operate the factory. To Mr Seymour he stated that so far the possibility of employing -women in the factory had not been fully investigated but did not think much of this Avork could be done liy other than men of good phy-< Appeal dismissed providing appellant is not called before Junel. National Service The Director of National Service "was the co-appellant in the case of <G#orge Arnold Brown, farm labourer. The' man concerned stated he willing to enter camp at any time but felt that he should star with his employer until the end of the season. Mr Roberts, sliaremilker, stated that he was milking 160 cows with Ithe h«lp of his son. He would like to retain Brown until the season ended. He also had 150 to 160 pigs on the place. Mr F. J. Reynolds, owwOof the farm, supported the request for the postponement of entering camp until after May. Adjourned to May 31. Labour Problem Again Mr E. W. Delalmnty, sharemilk•er, appealed against the calling up •of Stephen James Bidois, on the of public interest and hardship. He stated that he employed only one man and would renew his •contract providing he could get labour. He asked for a postponement -of service. Adjourned sine die. Mother's Appeal Appealing for her son, David B. Tranklin, Mrs S. Franklin, of Tanefa&a, stated that she had only the one son to assist her on her farm. Adjourned fine die. :Jii\

FURTHER CASES HEARD

MANPOWER COMMITTEE ALSO SITS

Shortage of Herd Tester's In the interests of the public an appeal was received from Kenneth Gordon Minliinnick, the Bay of Plenty and East Coast Herd Improvement Association being coappellants. Mr G. R. Kent, secretary of the Association, stated that 22 testing officers were employed in the dis- ! trict embracing from Katikati to Wairoa. A number of testers had been lost and five women had been engaged to replace; these. No more trained women were available and exemption, for Minliinnick was sought only to the end of the sfeason Dismissed providing appellant is not called before June 1. Farmers* Appeals L. "J. H. McCr&cken appealed against the calling up of Clifford Alexander McCracken submitting public interest and undue hardship as grounds. Adjourned sine die. Appealing against the calling up of Eric Emery, the father Win.' Emery (Mr Suckling) gave public interest and unrlue hardship as his grounds* In evidence the appellant stated that he had only one son. His sharemilker employed four adults in the shed and his son did all the general farnv work, assisting in the shed "when one of trie shed hands was away. Adjourned sine die. Mr G. Melville (Mr Otley) appealed against tlie calling up of Kenneth Clyde Melville. It was stated that one helper Alfred Melville was called up in the Overseas Ballot and it was intended to appeal for postponement until afte* May. Another Melville was waiting to enter Territorial camp. Adjourned °ine die. Fen ton Wilfred Butler (Mr Otley) appealed also on public interest and undue hardship grounds, it being stated that'appellant carries on a one-man farm —a Crown reserve J —and that the property was just about to become a paying proposition. The appellant stated that sometimes he worked 16 hours per day, eight hours being occupied each day with milking. He had one brother who was apprenticed to a baker.

Adjourned sine die. Thei calling for service of Stanley Cannell, rural deliverer, of Whakatane was opposed J. C. Cannell (Mr Otley) supporting the appeal. The grounds were public interest and undue hardship. Mr Otley stated that it was general opinion in the district when Cannell Bros took up the- property at Te Teko that they were looking for trouble, but the farm was r»ow in excellent order with splendid maize crops. In evidence Mr J. C. Cannell stated that it world be difficult to carry on if his partner was taken. Adjourned sine die. Undue Hardship Mir J. G. Colebrook (Mr Otley) appealed against the calling of Adolphus Edward Cooper, it being stated that Cooper was his only permanent hand. Adjourned sine die. Dairy Hand Called The Waimana Dairy Co. Ltd. appealed for Chven Fislier Cruse on grounds of public interest and undue hardship. It was stated that he was a first class hand and men were difficult to obtain. The company representative explained tha'; Cruse at no time had wished to appeal himself but the company had wished his calling postponed. Appeal dismissed so long as Cruse was not called up before June 1. An Interesting Discussion An extremely interesting debate ensued for over an hour when Campbell Percival Lucas, Methodist Minister, appeared to appeal against service with the armed forces on grounds of conscientious objection. The chairman, Mr S. L». Paterson, revealed himself as having a remarkable knowledge of the Scriptures and with the appellant delved deeply into the subject of the relation of Christianity to war. The discussion was based on the interpretation of passages from the Bible and the appellant's case was that from his interpretation he could not countenance war as ing approved by the Almighty. He

could not kill, believing as he did,, ancl he had thought deeply into his grounds for belief. He stated willingness to serve the wounded or to help his country in any way, but stated that he could not take the military oath which might at some time lead to him being ordered to kill fellow men. For such reason he could not agree to become a padre, for in his opinion in taking the oath he would have to forego his obligation as a christian as he saw it.

Then again, he understood that as a padre he would not be permitted to preach peace to the men, which he felt would be his duty. Providing there were no limitations he would, willingly serve as a padre just as he would willingly join a medical unit if he were allowed to dispense help to both friend and enemy with impartiality, and. was not bound by the oath.

Mr Paterson ctucted freely from the Bible and from the teachings of Christ placing interpretations on the passages which he suggested indicated that the Almighty was not completely averse to the use of force. He contended that the teachings of Christ did not altogether forbid such methods.

The appellant differed in that he had always regarded the teachings as against use of force and being of unfailing love to all mankind.

When the case concluded Mr Paterson paid tribute to the manner in which Mr Lucas had presented his case stating that it was the best exposition of, the principles of a conscientious objector he had heard.

Before a decision was given a witness, a member of the Methodist Church, arrived and asked that the church be permitted to enter an appeal on the grounds of public interest. The appeal was to have been lodged earlier but through an oversight due to a change in officers of the church it had been omitted . This was allowed and the Church's appeal given priority over the individual appeal. On these grounds a decision was given the appeal being adjourned sine die. Conscientious Objector An appeal has been received from a conscientious objector, William McKenzie Campbell, of Otakiri, but as the appellant made no appearance the appeal \va? dismissed.