COUNTRY'S CALL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2968, 4 January 1917, Page 6

COUNTRY'S CALL

-♦ WHAT SERVICE? FIGHTING OR ESSENTIAL WORK THE RAILWAYS' POSITION BIG LIST 6F "PUBLIC INTEREST" MEN Yesterday tho Wellington Military Service Board sat in Parliament Buildings and heard a number of appeals for exemption from military service. The board consisted of Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M. (chairman), Mr. J). M'Laron, of Wellington, and Mr. W. Perry, of Masterton. Captain Walker «as the military representative. Railway Cuard's Case. Tho calling up. of Thomas- Simmonds, a railway guardj was appealed against by the Railway Department on tlie "round of public interest. Mr. Bevan, Traffic Manager, appeared in support of the appeal, and stated that Simmonds had already been rejected as unfit for expeditionary service. The case was deferred till Simmonds was.examined by the Military Board. Later in the day it was reported that Simmonds had been rejected again as unfit, and his case was thereupon adjourned sine die. Railway Department's Appeals. The Railways also asked for exemption of Frederick Heim Sowerby. Mr. Bevan, of the trafSo branch, said that the ground was that Sowerby, being a trained railway man, his services were required in New Zealand to enable the Tailway services to be carried on satisfactorily. The, Department had to provide facilities for the food and otlier products of the Dominion, which were carried abroad for the use of the Army, in addition to which the Department had to furnish means of transport for soldiers proceeding from and to camps, as well as assisting to carry on the general conveyance of the New Zealand community. The Department had from the beginning of the war assisted in every way possible, and up till now bad released 3000 men for military service. In no case had the Department applied for exemption for other thnn trained railway men whose retention was necessary for the efficient carrying on of the railway service There were many crrndes of railway men on whose behalf no application had been made, and the Department wished it understood that applications for exemption would in all cases be'strictly limited. No obstacle would ho placed in tbe way of any railwav man who could possibly be spared. One hundred awl seventy-six cleaners and firemen had enlisted in tho Wellington district, and there were seventy vacancies existing at tho present time. The authorised staff of cleaners and firemen was 476, aiid there wero now 406. Owing to the depletion of tho staff, Regulation 44, which provides that cleaners must not act as firemen till they have, had two years' service fts cleaner, had had to be waived in some cases Through tho vacancies existing the-staff had had to work considerable overtime, and ne-wly-appointed actiiiKenginedrivers drawn from the ranks ot firemen, had had to be put on to run important trains, which, under normal conditions, they would not run. Mr. Bevaii said that in this case he was asked to apply for three months exemption—till tbo busy season was over. Leave was granted till March 31, pro-, rided Sowerby remained in his present employment. Thomas Desmond O Carroll, locomotive fireman, Lower Hutt, and Harold Bright, fitter, Wellington, also were granted three months' extension on the application of tho Eailway Department. An Audit Examiner. The employer of Robert Maxwell Sunley, audit examiner, Wellington, appealed on the ground of public interest. Six months' extension of time, was requested. Appellant, 31 years of age, said-ho was engaged on,tlie issuing or' tho War Loan, which would bo issued by tho end of March, after which it would take two months to enter up the books. He did not know of anyone else being trained to do his work. ■ The Auditor-General (Colonel R. J. Collins) said that Mr. Sunley held an important position, he dealt with the issue of loans and other matters of public dobt. / For this work special qualifications and knowledge of certain statutes were needed. Sunley was now dealing with the recent £10,000,000 War Loan, which comprised 28,000 debentures, all of which ho had had to check. As 22 out of 50 of the staff had volunteered, an understudy to Sunley had not been appointed until he had been called . up, when an officer (Mr. Garrett) had been selected for tuition. Therefore four or five months' extension was asked for. Colonel Collins said he knew that Sunley had no' desire to evade the call to the_ colours. There were no other first division appeals from tho office. Tho appeal was dismissed on Captain Walker giving an undertaking to secure leave of ahsenco for tiio appellant till April 30, on condition that he remains in his present employment. Two Priests Exempted. . The colling up of Rev. Father Eugene Evelyn Kimbell, of Newtown, was appealed against by Archbishop O'Shea. Cullinan, a retired sergeant of police, appeared with a letter from the Archbishop, and tho Minister of Munitions wrote that the occupation of appellant was of. such a nature that his calling up was contrary to the public interest. The appeal was allowed. The case of Father Patrick Quealy, of Petone, was similar, and this appeal was allowed. A Samoan Liquidator. Percival Ernest Pattrick, accountant, Samoa, was appealed for by his employer (the Minister of Defence). It was stated that Pattrick had U-en appointed liquidator of enemy firms in Samoa. The case was adjourned sine .die. Defence Records clerk. Frederick Monk, a clerk in the Records Office of the Defence Department, appealed on the ground of public interest. He said that a Medical Board had recently declared him to he permanently unfit. The appeal was dismissed, the appellant to remain in his present employment. Customs Officer's Case. The Customs Department applied foi tho exemption of William Charles Thomas on the ground of public interest. / The Customs representative who appoared said that no more of tbo examining officers could he spared. Ii 1914 there were fifty-eight examining: officers on the New Zealand wharves and now there were forty-eight; clorki numbered fifty-five in 1914, and nov thirty. . The hoard reserved decision sine die provided tha < reservist remains "hi; present position. Three Police Constables. The Police Department, represents by Commissioner O'Donovan,. sough

the exemption of Constables Joseph Jackson Wilson, Thomas M'Call, and David Ogilvy Brown. The Commissioner Eaid that on JNovember 28 he had applied to the Police Department requesting the oxemption of these men on the ground that thoir calling up would bo contrary to public interest. He had understood that .it was tho intention to exempt policemen. The cases wero adjourned sine die. Four Shearers. The exemption of several shearers was applied for by Charles Grayndler, union secretary. The case of John Blair, shearer, Roxborough, whose appeal was based on public interest, was adjourned sine die, on the conditions that Blair remains in his present employment and reports to tho Group Commander, Wellington, on the 23rd of every month. The cases of Donald M'Leay, shearer, Masterton, and Cecil J. Swan, shearer, Pahiatua, wero adjourned to be heard at Mastorton. Frederick Bradley/ shearer, South Karori, had his appeal dismissed. He did not appear. Seamen and Firemen. William Thomas Young, secretary of the Seamen's Union, secured adjournments sine die for Peter Murpiiy f able seaman, 5.6. Mararoa; Robert bmith, marine fireman, Wellington; Edward: Smith, marine fireman, Wollingikni; Michael William Monaghan, seainau, s.s. Opawa; James Andrew l'razer, able seaman, s.s. Mararoa; Thomae Gattney, marine fireman, Wellington; George Milward, marine fireman, Wellington; and John Thomas Baker, marine fireman, Wellington, A condition imposed by the board was that the appellante. are to remain at their present occupation, and report monthly to the military authorities. The appeal of Peter Gavin, marine fireman, Wellington, was dismissed, and that of Martin Carson, marine fireman, Wellington, was adjourned till Friday. Marine Engineers. Exemption, for Clement Cauty Richardson, third enginoer of the s.s. Makura, was sought by. W. A. Kennedy, general manager of tbe Union S.S. Company. He said there-wa6 a. ecareity or' marine engineers. The board reserved its decision sine die. If Richardson leaves 'his present employment the authorities are to be advised of that fact. Herbert Harold Barrs, marino engineer, 5.6. Monowai, also appoaled. tto appeared in person, and decision was reserved sine die, appellant to. report if ho leaves his present employment, j Ships' Officers. In the cases of William O. E. Martin, first officor, 5.6. Maheno, and Charles Burgess, third s.s. Maitai, for both of whom tho secretary of fcho Merchant Service Guild (Captain M'lndoe) appeared, decisions were reserved sine die, on condition they remain in their present employ. ' An appeal was lodged on behalf of 'Percy tJcott lsbister, who wae third ofttcer on tho Maitai when sho wont aground recently. Hβ is now rotuming to Now Zealand, and his case was adjourned till tho next sitting of the board in Wellington.' Tho board will sit again at 10 a.m. to-day. SOUTH OTAGO APPEALS By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, January 3. Tho Military Service Board sat at 'Palmerston to-day. _ Georgo and Charles Cumraings, farmers, appealed on the ground of financial obligations. The appeal of Charles Cummings was dismissed. Georgo was granted oxemption on condition that ho remained in ■ the same occupation, and ft was essontial. William and Martin Heffernan, farmers appealed on the ground of financial hardship. The appeals wero adjourned till the next sitting, appellants to bo medically examined. James Walker, Aloxandcr Walker, and William Walker, farmers, appealed on the ground of undue hardship. The appeals of William and Alexander were dismissed, and that of James adjourned sine die. Edward Stanley, farm manager, pleaded undue hardship. The case was dismissed, but appellant is not to bo called up before February 28. ' Andrew Droancr, farmer, appealed on the ground of undue hardship. The case was adjourned for three months to enable appellant to mnke arrangements, and he is to bo medically examined. , Archibald M'Curdy, choesemaker, appealed on the ground of public interest, The appellant was exempted till March 31, conditional on bis remaining in his present employment. William Hetherington, tutclier, appealed on the ground that he was the sole support of a widowed mother, v.l>o had been in bad bealth for two years. The case was adjourned to next sitting to enable appellant to endeavour to make suitable provisionfor his mother, and be medically examined. Rodger Heath was allowed till March 1 to enable him to dispose of his cows. The following appeals were dismissed: —Michael M'Cabe, on the grounds of undue hardship; John mer, on the. ground of hardship; John Lister, labourer, who asked for exemption till May; James Murcott, fsrm labourer, on the ground that he was the sole support of a widowed mether; Alexander Mathieson, sheep-farmer, on the ground of financial burdens. Conditional exemption was granted to Henry M'Cracken, coal miner, on the ground of support of a widowed mother, sister, and srandfatber, 92 years rf ace; James M'Lew, who stated he had two brothers at the front, and was tbe only one left on the farm; William Gillies, farmer, on tbe ground of undue hardship; Robert Dunn, coal K.iner, on the ground that his only bn.ther was at the front, and his father needed • Appeals by Thomas Peddio and William Peddie,' on tho ground of Iv-ing over age, were allowed, R:>b»'tson, letter-carrier, passed as fit frr borne service. Appeals by William Tippet, Albert Apps, and James Shiwhy, who did w t appear, were disaiisaod.