DUTY TO THE STATE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2991, 31 January 1917, Page 6

DUTY TO THE STATE

BALLOT APPEALS

POSITION OF SLAUCHTERMEN AND SHEARERS. Yesterday the third Military Service Board heard appeals by slaughtermen nnd shearers. The Board consists of Messrs. W. H;S. Moorhouse (Chairman), A. O'L. Considine, and M. J. Mack. Captain Baldwin is the military representative. Mr. M. J. Reardou (secretary of the Slaughtermen's Union). stated to the Board that there was a shortage of slaughtermen. As an instance, he ' mentioned that the .'lmlay works had paid tho fares of men to come over from Australia. , Last week twentyseven men arrived.under such an arrangement with the , Imlay proprietary. J An undertaking was given thn men that they would not como within the scope of the ballot, and would not be replacing conscripts. Captain Baldwin nskcl for figures as to the number of arrivals. Mr. Reardon gave the following fieliros: —December 11, 25; December 19, 15; December 25, 29; January 1, 7; January 11, 7; January 22. 31 ; J:muary 29, 5; total, 136. And N<;w Zealand was still short of slaughtermen. Captain-Baldwin: How many unemployed are on the union books? Mr. Reardon said there were none. This was the busy season. ' Tho Chairman: Is thero an unlimited ■'supply of slaughtermen to be had from 'Australia? Mr. Reardon said the mnn could bo got if their fares were paid. The Boatd decided to adjourn sine die the following appeals, the appellants to be firanfed. temporary exemption from military service, and tn report regularly to the military authorities :—Thomas Andrew "Plow Adams, ,Imlay (who. had been rejectnd from . camn as medically unfit); John Rusoatch, Imlay; George Francis formerly of Petone, and now of Mnstorton; and Arthur Leonard Parker, Potone. . The ease of Reuben Harris, Inilay. was adjourned. It was suggested that tho appeal had been lodged too late. William M'Lean, butcher, Petone. was granted temporary exemption, and he is to report regularly to the military authorities. M'LPiin is in the employ of tho Now Zealand Farmer l ! , Co-operative Co., i<nd the manneer (S. C. Baron) gave evidence that the company realised tho need for soldiers, •and had reduced the staff to bedrock. They would willingly release their regaining half-dozen First Division men if they could replace' them. Thoy were .under contracts to supply meat to the military. The Shearers' Cases. The position of shearers was then considered, there being several shearers' appeals before the Board. ■ Mr. J. Grayandler (secretary of the Shearers' Federation) said that there had been a shortage of shearers last season, and would be a greater shortage next season. • There wero about ■2000 shearers on tho books of the union, but those with less than three years' experience were not being appealed for. ' . ■ .

. Captain Baldwin said the _difficulty wag that there was no guarantee that the men would shear next season; and also there was the question of what the men were doing between seasons. The Board adjourned to consider what attitude should he adopted, and when it resumed, the Chairman stated that it had been' decided to adjourn all the shearers' cases ,for fourteen days, and that the individuals might be summoned to attend in person. The thing was that they did not want to allow shearers to be out among the community during the between-seasons period without an undertaking as io what they would be doing. Captain Baldwin said that he desired a personal undertaking 'from the men as to wnat they would do between seasons.

After further, discussion the Chairman' said the cases would all stand over for fourteen days. Mr. Grayandler: And will the men have to appear in'person? The Chairman: That we will decide. Thomas Wagg, coachbuildeiy Masterton, appealed for the exemption of an employee, Ralph Douglas, till March 10. ...

The application was granted. Appellant said he would not liave asked for leave if it was not necessary. ;. ■ . , .

The Chairman ,said that lie was s\iro of that, judging by tho family's excellent record. ■:

SITTING AT NEW PLYMOUTH By Telegraph—Press Association. New Plymouth, January 30. Twenty appeals were heard before the first Wellington 'Military Service' Board ,The appellants, chiefQy farmers, appealed on grounds of undue hardship. The appeal of a con-scientious-objector was dismissed on the ground that the Brethren as a body do not object. : The appeals of others were dismissed with varying terms of leave. The vagaries of the ballot were demonstrated in the case of Leonard Frederick Hainblyn, aged twenty, who said he had five brothers at the front, one of whom was missing. The military representative expressed his apprccmtion of the family efforts, but hardship bad not been proved. Tho appeal of William Aich, aged 46, and a married man with a large family, was allowed oa tho grounds that he is not a reservist. ;