SLAUGHTERMEN'S APPEALS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3058, 20 April 1917, Page 10

SLAUGHTERMEN'S APPEALS

A' NEW POINT RAISED' Appeals mado by Mr M J Reardon, teccrotary of tho Slaughtermen's Union, on bohalf of a numbci of slaughtermen drawn in lecent ballots weio before the Second Military Seivico Boaid -ycstoiday. It had been tho praelico ot the boards to allow tho appeals ot slaughtermen without lcqumng the appcar'aiico of tho men themselves, on the seorctary of the union testifying that the reservists concerned weio bona lido slaughtermen and were actively engaged in their industry When tho cases woro called on jcstcidav, however, the chairman ot tho boaid (Mi. J. W. Poynton, S.M.) said that a general exemption ot this chaiactei could not be given. Tho Kation.il Efhcioncj Board had asked that each case phould be considered on its merits, and as some of tho men whoso appeals wore now being considered lived in distant parts of tho countiy it was impossible 'lor Mr. Reardon to give tlie rcquned information. Mr Reardon said it had been cleaily understood that tho evidonco ot tho secretary of tho union would bo necessary, without taking tho men away .from their work in oidei to make peisonal oppearanco No board would think ol sending slaughtcimen into ■camp Tho men woio perloimuig essential woik ol a highly specialised chailacter, and there was a shortage of competent men Arrangements had 'oeen made at tho beginning of thd ( season to bring slaughtcimen to New Zealand from Australia, and a definite •assurance had been given tho Australians that they would not take tho ij-places of New Zcalandcrs who had been -taken for inihiaiy service, '.t would bo unfair to make any alteration ol the system at the prosent juncture ' The. chairman said that tho board's proposal was to send each appeal to a loard working in tho distuct where j-tho men concerned icsided. Mr. Reardon said that tho men themselves wero noli appealing. Ho was apijealing on their behalf, with tho authority of the Acting-Pnnio Minister, as employer. ' Mr. Pojnton: "But you do not know tthe position from an cmplojci'i point ■of view. You want us to lay_ down a rule that becauso a man is a siaughlerijnan he must bo exempted. Wo cannot fdo that. Some of the cases wo have liheard looked very nice irom tho documentary evidence, but it was a different Lstory when opportunity for cross-os-j>annnation was given." ! Mr. Reardon replied that all prov jirtous cases had been exempted, and no Slaughterman would have come from ([Australia to tako tho placo of a Now ("Zealand blaughtermcn called up for Wervice. He had assured himself in (seacli caso that tho man had been m 'itho slaughtering trade for a consideiJ«ble timo, and had followed )tho occupation. Ho would not\ask exemption for any man who had ontored 'the occupation recently, with tho object of ovading military eervicc^ Mr Poynton: "We aio reqlined to , consider oach caso judicially. We cannot osempt a whole class " After furthor discussion, Mr._ Rear'don said that he had been authorised by the Government to handlo all tho slaughtermen's cases and to bung them forward in Wellington. Ho had a lottei to that oiiect fiom tho Acting-Pnmo Minister. Tho board adjourned tho cases until ■to-day foi tho production oE this lettci.