THE CALL TO SERVE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2974, 11 January 1917, Page 6

THE CALL TO SERVE

TOMSK GROUNDS CHRISTCRURCH CASES By Tolograph—Pi'oss Association. Christohurd), January 10. Before tho Military Service Board at | ' Christchurch to-day, Frederick Koesler, motor mechanic, Ladbxooks, appealed on the grounds that he considered he was a German, , and that lie was the only man at homo to look after his parents. The appellant said that his parents were German. His father was naturalised 20 years ago, and ho himself was born in New Zealand in 1878, and had been here ever'feince. Ho had two cousins, officera in the German :. Army, and, another cousin in tho German Navy, and-ho had correspoiided with them till war broke out. Asked with whom his sympathies lay, he refused to answer. Hβ could • speak German, he said. ■ His mother, he added, was born in England of German parents. His father was 74 audhis mother 73. One of his brothers was on a farm and another had left for the front with the 18th Reinforcements, while;a. third was working in . :the country.... "•"•: . ... .... The chairman said that tho appellant was'a British subject, and he had not established any ground for exemption. The appeal would be dismissed, but tho fact that the appellant was of German parentage and ,thafc he had refused to state with whom his sympathies lay in the present struggle would be noted, and tho military authorities could do .: with the appellant as theypleased. . The Iron Industry. Albert l J eter Fergusson Watson, of lliccarton, engineer and blacksmith, was stated by Mr. Wright to bo a member of the firm of Watson. Brothers. The other brother was in Germany at the outbreak of war, but got out of ■• the country after being badly mauled, and coining back to New Zealand, eu-list-etl.. Ho had been at the front many -months.' The real ground of the appeal, however, was that tho appellant .•■■• was in charge of a. business for transforming scrap iron into bar iron,' and a- great deal of money had been sunk , in the venture. If the appellant were y .taken away great difficulty would be ' experienced in securing a substitute. ■ ?■' tliere being only one other roller mill , in tho Dominion, at Dunedin. The ap- •. pellant and his employer asked that ■ lie (appellant) be granted an extension of. time, ilntil somo other man could .■■;: be secured to take his place. The ap- ; "pellant was largely interested in the of a fencing standard. ' ■' Tho chairman said that the question for the board to decide was Whether the industry was an essential one to ■ the country at the present time. The ' board would not give consideration for a, moment"if-only the patent fencing ' standard wero involved in tho. matter, . but it might ho that the manufacture of iron was of great importance to the Dominion at tho present time. The board were of opinion ithat the V matter wrs worthy of further investigation, and adjourned tho case for a month to allow the military authorities ]'.' : to make inquiries. , Clergyman's Case. The .Rev. A. C. Lawry, chairman of "the North Canterbury District of tlio -, Methodist Church, appealed on behalf of John Ernest Parsons, Methodist ■ -Minister at Lyttolton, upon tho ground that Parsons was the only Methodist ' Minister at Lyttolton, and the substi- ' tute who would have been appointed had enlisted. Tho church had suffered severe hardship through the enrolment of the previous Minister, Chaplain Mitcboll. It was stated that a. letter - was on its way from the Minister of Defence stating that ho considered that the calling up pf Parsons would be contrary to the public interests. Tho caso was adjourned. A Religious Objector. Thomas Nuttall, hardware assistant, appealed on religious grounds. ,He - said he belonged to a Christian denomination. . ; . The chairman: What is it? : Appellant: In this book you ask me to swear by. a In answer to further questions,, the appellant said he was a Baptist, and "based his appeal on the New Testament. He had no other ground. Hβ had a record of convictions of over five years of police prosecutions for failingto register under the Defence Act. •■ Tho Baptists left everything to individual conscience, except baptism. V Asked how- ho proposed to meet the ■present crisis, tho appellant replied: •' "It is not for us Christian people to meet it." ': The appeal was dismissed. IMRCARGILL APPEALS By Telegraph—Press Association. Inveroargill, January 10. The Military Service ; Board commenced its sittings lato this afternoon, and continued till 10 o'clock. • 160 cases were set down for hearing. A goodly proportion consists of farmors and farm labourers. The largo majority of tho appeals were dismissed. The Nightcaps Coal Co. appealed on behalf of two miners and a trimmer. Tho minors' appeal was sustained, and the trimmer's adjourned sine die, the company in the meantimo to , endeavour to roplaco him at the first opportunity. A farmer's' son appealed on tho ' grounds of his financial position and hia father being a semi-invalid. —Granted. \ A'farmer and fam labourer were each granted till April 1, and a chaffcuf/ting contractor till March 1. The caso of a dairy farmer who had twice been turned down was adjourned till next sitting. Tho appeal or Duncan M'Artmtr, a. blacksmith, and "undertaker at Winton, was. dismissed, and that of his brother • John, his partner, was allowed. Donald M'Donald, a farm • labourer, who managed his father's/arm of 820 ■ acres, was granted conditional, exemption. . i ■ ■ ■ The case of Con Shirley, a shearer, " was adjourned for medical examination, John Patrick" Flanagan, the joint- ' . owner, with his mother and brother, of ' . a farm of 450 acres at Winton, was "ranted leave till April 1. " Tho case of Herbert Capon, cliafF- ■ cutting hand, who had been rejected, ' was adjourned till next sitting for 1 medical examination. The Naval Authorities, through tho 1 Telegraph Department, appealed on be- ' half of a wireless operator at 'Awaiua, who was on expert in naval .procedure. •The apeal was the first of its kind, and was granted. Tlie appeal of R. J. Schmidt, employed on his father's farm at Woodlands, and an only son, Lis father being iin ; invalid, was adjourned sine die, conditional on his remaining in -iho same '