DIRTRICT APPERALS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 51, 26 February 1943, Page 5

DIRTRICT APPERALS

ARMED FORCES BOARD

SITTING IN WHAKATANE

The first sitting of the Arm•ed Forces Appeal Board No. 2 Military District since the New Year took place in Whakatane last Wednesday, Mr Edwin Edwards presiding. Associated with' ■ him were Messrs E. J. Wiliton J. Poland and Lieut P. Williamson, Army Liason Officer. The Whakatane Paper Mills appealed, for the retention of the services of reservists Wm. J. Braith•waite, tractor and grader driven; J. "J. Gorbert, chief engineer; Arthur Davics, loco fireman*; J. J. H. Gattache, pasting room hand: D. R. 'Goodriek, tractor driver; Leonard Knowles, tractor mechanic: J. M. "C. Pithy, building and transport :'foreman. New Logging Venture Evidence for the company was ■ given by Mr E. 13. Brown, general manager, who said that, the company was on the verge of opening f up the Matahina plantations for cutting. I.!i this block there was 15,000 : acres of established plantations, which would require, the fullest staff • for both operational work and pro--4 tection from fires. All the reservists were carrying out Avork which was vital to the' operation of the Mill, •- and the maintenance of production, and. Avould be practically impossible to replace. The nc.AV move to the Matahina plantations, he said,Avou'd take place shortly after Easter as the Matakana plantations would be •cut out by that time;For Tliomas A'.' Connery, rewinderjnan, an appeal Avas entered merely -•against Home Guard service. With regard to Wm. Stewart An:U •erson, logging foreman, Avho sought :release from Home Guard serA'ice, ■Mr Brown said that reservist Avas virtually carrying out an E.P.S. duty in fire Avatching as a continuous job. The company also appealed for 'the retention of B. H. Fletcher Avho had also Avritcn to the Board objecting to the petition. The appeal AA r as disallowed, reserA T ist to be. made -available for any call made by the Aimy. Borough Council's Plea The Whakatane Borough Council (Mr Buddie) appealed for W. S. Henderson, Foreman Engineer. The Mayor of Whakatane, Mr B. S. Barry, in evidence said, that reservist Avas :ra married man Avith seven children and held a position Avhiah made him -absolutely indispensible to the Borough. He recited, a formidable list •of the duties and responsibilities of reservist Avho he claimed Avas essential to the administration and servicing of the Borough. Reservist Avho Avas present entered .-•a A-igorous protest stating that of his family only two were under the age of 16. His one desire. AA r as to serve in the Army and he maintained that any man could be replaced. He had been approached by Colonel Vicl ferman to join the Army Works Avhich he AA r as keen to do! He had been too young to serA T e in the last Avar and Avanted to be in this one. The chairman pointed out that the board had to> decide just Avhcre such a man as reservist Avould be most-useful during a time of crisis, lhe army at the present time AA r as •• concentrating on the single men bcl- - een 20 and 30' and lie considered reserATist AA*ould be performing better Avork by remaining in his pre.sent, capacity. The Board follow up the position of his approach from the army. In the meantime the case Avas adjourned - Electrical 1 Linesman; j; Tiie Council also appealed for W. F. Abbott, electrical linesman. F. W. Lysaght, electrical engineer, in - evidence stated that. reservist ay as the only man to attend to the servicing of /88 poAver consumers in the Borough. Three members of the staff"had already left for service ■ overseas and the staff at present was down to a minimum. Adjourned sine die. Pig Marketing Organiser A dual appeal against the calling > up of Stanley W. Bur.stall was entered by the N.Z. Co-op. Pig Marketing Association and R. W. Dunn- - 3ng. The Association stated that reserv-

ist was the only representative in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. He had proved himself adaptable to the work antl also as an organiser capable of sorting and advising farmers, with regard to> the breeding of pigs. The prospect, of having to find, a now man to fill reservist's position gave rise to the greatest concern as tlie field work was vital to supply an important industry. Mr Dunning, chairman of the district pool, said that, there. Averc approximately 250 shareholders, and reservist after three years work as organiser had now become thooughly conversant with the operations of the firm and would be exceedingly hard to replace.- Detailing the: operations of the Company he added that, this season the Association had had handled 2800 pigs and 18,600 calves., Lieutenant Williamson said that the .Army did not consider the grounds sufficient. Reservist intimated that he himself did not favour the appeal' and desired to go into camp. The case was adjourned until such time as evidence could be taken from the company's general manager at Hamilton. Newspaper Appeal The Beacon Printing and Publishing Company appealed for the retention of the services of its Man-aging-Editor, C. Kingslcy-Smith. Mr C. A. Suckling for the. Company said that from an original staff of nine the Company was reduced to three key men and one apprentice. Five members had joined the armed forces and it took the 1 remaining officers all tlieir time to struggle through and give the district the same news service and .jobbing. Reservist said lie keenly resented the appeal, being a grade, li' man and had with difficulty been jjersuaded to allow the Board to decide the issue,., Lieut. Williamson suggested an adjournment for three months to see if reservist could be replaced in order that a willing man could gq to camp. The chairman stated that the Board already had its instructions regarding the maintenance of newspaper services if possible and considered that reservist would be performing more useful work in his present capacity. The. case was adjourned sine die. I he same appellants were cited in the case of reservist L. G. J. Delahunty (grade IT). reservist went into camp said counsel, the jiaper could not. be produced as there wis no one to rej)lace him in a job that was highly specialised. Adjourned sinc N die.