APPEALS FROM THE BALLOT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2976, 13 January 1917, Page 10

APPEALS FROM THE BALLOT

— ANONYMOUS LETTERS TO THE BOARDS A WARNING By Tolesraph—Prcs9 Association. Christchurch, January 12. At tlio sitting of the Military Service Board to-day, the chairman, Jlr. Evans, made the following pronouncement: — "The board is constantly recoiving letters, mostly anonynidusj setting out alleged facts which have not comc out before tho board in certain cases, or which have been deliberately suppressed or falsely stated. In the first place, I wish to say that 110 person has tho right, anonymously or otherwise, to ad r dress any .such communication to tho board. On tho contrary, it is contempt of Court. If any person lias knowledge of any such state of things, tho proper person or authority to lay the matter before is either tlio military representative of the board, or the local group officers, whose duty it will be to inquiro into the matter. Tlie board is a judicial body, with a judicial function, tho seriousness of which the hoard itself'freely recognises, namely, that of deciding 011 tho evidence brought before it in open sessions who shall go to tho war and who may stay at home. Any person giving false evidence is guilty of perjury, and is liable tp th« penalties of the law for that offence. The board thereforo : takes no notice of aaonymous letters. . "In the second place, I wish to state that any person who knows of any facts wrongfully suppressed or falsely stated it' is his duty to bring those facts to the knowledge of the proper authorities, _ not by an anonymous lotter, but in such a way that the authorities may properly ask tho board to reopen tho case, and any person who fails in this duty, in this time of national crisis, is as- great a shirker as tho one who falsely states his position, I wish to make this fact quite, clear. "In. the third place, I wish -.0 say on behalf of tho board' that if any such facts as I have referred to are clearly proved before the board in the proper way, the board will, leave no doubt in the mind of anyone—and particularly in that of the person falsely stating his position—as to what it will do. I'wish also to make this fact clear."