MILITARY SERVICE BOARD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2989, 29 January 1917, Page 7

MILITARY SERVICE BOARD

SHORTAGE OF SEAMEN

By Telegraph-Press Assn.

■'• TT, mt + Auo^ la n d > January 27. i the Military .Seraco Board sat to- %' , n 11 , 26 a PP° al s were heard. lNoel Cole, a contractor, claimed exemption on the ground of public in.terest, as he was engaged on tho erection of a freezing works. Exemption w «s granted till March 31. The assistant secretary of the SeaSen s Union ■ appealed on behalf of .-Francis George Walker, a seaman, of - Onehunga. Mr.' Anderson pointed out Mat 7o per cent, of tho Seamen's ■ lOnion had already enlisted, and that there was already so serious a sh'ortago of seamen that many vessels had been .compelled to leave in which officers . lad been enrolled in a lower capacity. .In answer to 3tejor. ; Conlan, ho 6tatcd that there wore no seamen outside tho '"tmion available to fill any vacancies caused by furthor men being sent to the front. In fact, there had been a serious shortage of seamen for somo 0011- : -siderablo time past, and he said that ,he was very pleased to see that such a •large percentage of members.of the Seamen's Union had enlisted. The ap.jpellant also stated that it was undue hardship owing ■■ to tie delicafo health of his mother, whom he supported. The board allowed the appeal, as Walker >as engaged in an essential industry, /inis exemption to last only bo long as 'appellant remained at sea. At the sitting of tho'.board yesterday, jjParellius Peterson, -a iquarryman, said ,jthat he was the son of a Norwegian, 'land that he -was born at'sea on a British vessel, before. • his father was naturalised.' Appellant also ' pleaded religious objections. The board reserved its decision regarding his nationality, and this.morning it-was decided that the law in New Zealand concerned appellant now, and international j'ilaw had nothing to dohvith the present case. The appeal was dismissed, u- J ames H. Small, contractor, of Wakapuua, appealed' on tho ground of 3>ublic interest, as he had to supervise •Who working of twenty men, and with piis brotherho had to pay. off-creditors. in evidence that he and. his , brother had expended,, a. very. large Ssum of money recently, and incurred liabilities which they were' unable to at once.'. "The..' creditors therefore signed an agreement giving brothers twelvo -months in which to settle their debts. The case was ad.'So.urned to enable .theappellant and his brother to undergo medical examinaxion.

-Harold Wright, fruit farmer, of Henderson, appealed on the ground of undue hardship, and on. religious . grounds, he being a member of the Society of Friends. Appellant said he was -willing .to -undertake non-com-batant work, provided it was not in the Army Service • Corps. He .would serve m the : Ambulance or other 'branch devoted to the saving- of life, but wojild like a guarantee that he would not be transferred to any other branch. . The. chaimah'pointed out that the section of the Act governing the case read: "Willingness io' perform such non-combatant service, -including servico in Medical Corps .and Army Service Corps." The board, in his opinion, could not say.definitely that appellant would be retained for work in the Medical Corps, .but it.would obtain an interpretation of. the section. Appellant said he desired to secure financial assistance from the State in regard to rent, etc. The case was adjourned till Tuesday.