CALLED TO SERVE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2992, 1 February 1917, Page 6

CALLED TO SERVE

BALLOT APPEALS

POLICE AND SEAMEN'S CASES

The third Military Service Board, Messrs. W. H. S. Moorhouse (chairman), A. O'L. Considine, and SI. J. •"Mack, continued its sitting yesterday. -Captain Baldwin was the military representative. ... : The Commissioner of Police, Mr. 3. O'Donovau, appealed on public grounds against the inclusion of Constables Henry John Melville, J. A. Tocker, E. Whiteacre, and J. SI. Fleming. Mr. O'Dohpyan said the police constables wero anxious to go to the front, but owing to the'shortage of 'police officers it was impossible to release them for military service. The .work of the police had increased by. the work of the Military Service Board, .owing to the men having considerable : local knowledge, and being able to locate defaulters. The board adjourned "the cases sine die, the men to report to. the Area Officer every month. Hugh AVilson Hutcheson, mechanic, ■ and, martne engineer, for whom Mr. J. J. M'Grath appeared, appealed on the ground of undue hardship. Mr. fr Hutcheson, stated counsel, was a firstclass engineer. He was in partnership with a man who was of German extraction, and in July last this part- : .....ncrsliip was dissolved, the appellant

paying £700, the whole of the money " being borrowed.' None of the money I had been repaid. Counsel said that ■Hutcheson had done his best, to sell -his business as a going concern, but had failed so far. It was held that his ;■•' enlistment would cause undue hardship to his mortgagee, to. his three apprentices, and to his wife, to whom he . married in September, 1915. ; In answer to questions,. HutcheSon said he had served his time as a marine engineer, but in' his present business very littlo marine engineering work was done. . ■, ■ ; Tho anpeal was dismissed, Hutcheson "to be allowed two .months in which to arrange his business affairs. '

Marine Engineers. Mr. W. A. Ivennedy, Wellington

manager of the Union Steani Ship Com- #, pany, appealed for exemption of Percy John Gibson Ward, second engineer ■ s.s. Waiinarino; Arthur Wilkinson,

Bagley, second engineer s.s. Komata; 'Eric Allen Cole, fifth engineer s:s. Maitai; Alexander Murray Wishart, third engineer s.s. Wanaka; and George C. Wardsworth, marine engineer, en- ; gaged on transport' work; "-•" Mr. Kennedy said the vessels of the " company were fully manned at present, ■hut there was no margin .in'men to come and go on. There was no provision for running the vessels with fewer engineers, the quota' being -fixed by ' legislation and in agreement with the engineers. Ships would be laid up if many men were .withdrawn from the service. Mr. T. R. Wallace, secretary of the • Marine' Engineers' Society of Austra- ;■ lasia. said there were three juen in ;3iis district available for employment, . two had first-class tickets and the .other a second-class certificate.. . Asked if the withdrawal of, say, the ,fifth engineer would interfere with; the working of a vessel, he said that sliip'owners did not carry men for the mere fun of it, but to ensure the efficient ■working of the ship. Tbo Act stipulated for a certain minimum number of engineers to he carried, and the ship- ' owner might employ more for the sako of the efficient'working of the vessel. . If a, man was withdrawn under these circumstances, it. would impair the ef.ficiency of the vessel. ... ■> v ■ To the Chairman: He did not think

<the submarining of vessels had affect~;ed the position. He kuew that seafaring men had been recalled from the front and placed under Admiralty orders.' ..<■,.. '.'■ •

-The' Board decided to reserve consideration of the.appeals for the present. . ■=

Archibald Walker, junr., marine engineer, of Rona Bay, for ivliom his father - appeared, appealed on ' the ; ground that his calling up was against ■ the public interest. The appeal was heard last week; and a further adjournment was granted until Friday morning. Seamen and Firemen. Percy Titshall, marine fireman, in the employ of the Blackall Coal Com- \ ■ pany, appealed on the ground of- pub-,-Jic interest. Mr. W. T. Young, sec- ' ;rotar.v of the Seamen's Union, who appeared for all the seamen listed, said there .was a decided shortage of seamen as defined by the Act—tliat was ahle seamen, firemen, trimmers, greas:ers, throughout New Zealand. . About : 1800 members of"the Seamen's Union in New Zealand had gone to"£he front, and members were, continuing to enlist voluntarily, thus adding to the short-, age. At the: present time there • would probablybc about thirty men un- , employed, biit it was necessary tojiave .ahput fifty men available-for emergencies''in the-main ports.. , . Mr. Young also appealed on behalf of Richard M'Noilly, A. 13., Win. Valentine. Owen, A.8., Johu Coutts, A.8., Percy M'ljeOd, ordinary seamen, Harry Palmer, fireman, John" Alexander, firo- . man, and Thomas Robertson, • A.B. ;. Tho cases were adjourned siim die, and .-.exempted from military service in the 'meantime, and the men to report to ■tho area officer.' . ..

The; appeal'of ■John M'Donald, A.B!, .was dismissed, ami that •of John Davies, A.8., was withdrawn.

Religious Objector. Ernest Kelley, 10 Edinburgh Terrace, .appealed on religious grounds. Ho ' said- he' belonged to the Plymouth 'Brethren, and joined that body about seyen years ago. He declined to un- > dertake nou-combataut work, or come ■under military control if that interfered 'with him serving his Lord and Master. , The appeal was dismissed. A Munition worker. ; : A brass finisher* named George Henry Cowan, 72 Russell Terrace, in the em'-' ploy of Mr. Dutch, appealed on the ground that his enlistment would ,be against the public interest. Mr. Dutch, who appeared in support of the appeal, said that his firm was engaged principally on transport work and on work for the dairy factories. There was a shortage of hra'ss finishers. When the war broke out he was' employing fifteen men, and now ho had ■only a dozen hands. Cowan was a. •skilled worker, and could not be replaced just now. He had enlisted nearly a year ago, but obtained exemption ■through the Minister nf Munitions for munition work in New Zealand. Hβ (Mr. Dutch) had advertised throughout ■New Zealand for brass finishers, and ■did not receive a single application. • The application was nfijourned for •two months, on the usual conditions.

Wireless Operator. The Amalgamated Wirclfss (Australasia), Ltd.. appealed on the ground of public interest against the oalline 'up of Pnier Clifford Dillon, wireless telegraphist, in the employ if the company.,, Mr. SI. Myers appeared in support iff the appeal. He stated that 'Mr. Gillon was a ivircless operatoixon "a irnnsoort. and it would be some lime lioforo he returned. The question inTo'refl in this appes.l did not merely afiwt f.h' AnmlEranmed Wireless, but >,•!« ipi pci Hi , .' in. nlhor respeefs. The Wimpn;:i-. ■..vijplo.ffc •Sβ'operators in Kcw status of wireless operators aroee some si'mn afro, and it was apparent'? considered bj tho Govern-

ment, as in May, 1916, the Minister of Munitions arranged for tho exemption of these mon, and amongst the number was the namo of Mr. Gillon.

The chairman: The board will admit that wireless was necessary. Mr. Myers, continuing, said tho company did not wish to keep back any men, but it was difficult to replace these skilled operators. It was impossible to employ boys of 18-years, or yet men of 46 years. It Look from six months to nine months to train them.

Captain Baldwin: There is a midway class, the second division. Mr. Myers: There is still this training. Mr. Mulhollaiid, the inspector of tho company, stated that the statement made by Mr. Myers was correct. ■ The case was adjourned sine die, and exemption from military was granted subject to the usual provision.

Marist Brothers. Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared in support of the appeal lodged in the case of Denis J. Cody, Marist Brother. Mr. O'Leary said 'this wns not a personal appeal' but was • lodged by Archbishop O'Shea, who was practically the employer of the Marisfc Brothers, who were, in his diocese. The Marist Brothers were engaged in teaching Catholic boys in Now Zealand. It would bo contrary to public interest to take away those who were engaged in the task of teaching the, children of the Dominion, to whatever denomination they may'bekmg; furthermore, it would he a hardship on the Cnthnhc community, who have made snerifices to provide for thp tenching, of their children nnd tho schools would have to be closed. There were forty-seven Marist Brothers 'in New, Zea'and. and of these fourteen were in tie Wellington archdiocese. Two wero over the, military age. _ About forty out of forty-seven were in the ' First Division. Them were no male lay teachers in the Catholic schools, because it was impossible ,to get such teachers owing to the inadequacy of the nay. Even the State schools, found a difficulty in getting male teachers. The Catholic community could not obtain an adequate supnly of female teachers. Then, again, there was tho question of conscience: the Catholic community had established these schools,' and it wonld be their ponscieneo to send tliSir children to the State schools. There were nvpr four Tmndipd children in the Wellington Catholic schools, and if these were closed down the State would have to find accommodation for tho scholars.

■ Archbishop O'Rhea and Brotlipr Egbert corroborated tlm statements ' of cmuisnl, and the. latter ndclefl that the. number of Marist Brothers now in Wellington was insufficient for the work. More teachers were reqiiirotl.

The Board reserved decision until this morning.

.' catholic Priests,

Patrick' Francis Onllen, Nicholas Moore, and James More. O'Fcvrall, fktho'in priests' and James John'Riordan. Theological student, appealed on religious grounds. Archbishop (VSbea Mi>pearPo\ in support of the anpeals. He said there were 220 priests in New 'Zealand, and of these 105 were in the Wellington archdiocese. There had been no change in the -number of nriestg,. ten had gone with thp reinforcements, find ten others had been ordained. The priests could not yoiuntppr for-service without permission, nr>d no permission had been given. He j did not think it would hn possible lo earry on the work of the Church with fpyer priests. Tt would en tuff hardship" nn the Oat'iolio community, for it v.-o'.iH curtail the. number of masses. Mr. Considinn: It is a time of hardshio !>nd sacrifice. Archbishop O'Shea, continuing, said that about seveuty priests were over the military af», and. there were a number medically unfit;. Decision was reserved.. Another Religious Objector. Mr. Wilson M'Clime/ the head or supervisor of a., sect known as the "Testimony of Jesus Christ," appeared on behalf of Frederick Peter Fleivs, evangelist, Stratford, who appealed on religious prounds. Mr. M'CKme stated that the sect had been established in New Zealand about .twelve years. It was a voluntary organisation", the members of which, met annually at different centres. The membership, or those in fellowshio, numbered 730. .There were no official headquarters. Tile appellant was formerly a carpenter/ but during the past four years had'devoted himself to evangelistic work. There were about fourteen .evangelists connected with -the organisation, which objected to military serj:vice. and also objected to w>rk i;i tho medical corps ajid. the A.S.C., which wore under military control.

It was stated that the appellant was appearing-in-person before the Board sitting in' Hawern. and the ease was therefore adjourned.

The Board will resume the lip'iring of appeals at 10 oclock this morning.

A LAUNCHMAN'S APPEAL

By Telegraph—Press Assn

Auckland!, January 31. At the Military Service Board, Albert Edward Curel pleaded that he was the owner of a launch plying between Port Albert and Helensville, and that his calling up would caiuse inconvenience to the settlers. Two of his brothers had enlisted, and three were going into camp. The appeal was supported by a petition from tho settlers. The case was adjourned on the understanding that it came up again if one of the appellant's brothers returned fit, and was qualified to take charge of the launch. It was stated that the appeal had been lodged under pressure of the settlers. RAILWAYMEN'S APPEALS By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, January 31. Appeals for exemption by several railway employees came before the Military Service . Board to-day. Th« chairman stated that' in engaging men of military age the Department was working in conflict with the Military Service Act.'. Eventually all the cases but one were adjourned for three months, conditional on the appellants remaining in the railway service. The ease of James Saunders was adjourned for one month, the board considering that soirio arrangement might be made to release him for active service. The case of Robert Johnston, which had been adjourned for a month to enablo him to make arrangements for his invalid mother, was adjourned sine d'e, conditional on appellant being essential to the well-being of his mother. Several cases were dismissed and .i number sitijonrncd.