HOME SERVICE MEN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3101, 4 June 1917, Page 8

HOME SERVICE MEN

FOR WAR WORK

MOBILISATION SUGGESTED

During the hearing of appeals lor Public Trust Office clerks on Saturday it was slated that the men could not bo released to go on activ<f service, and one of tho chicf reasons was that the Government had given over to the office tho administration of thousands of soldiers' estates.

Captain Walker (military representative) : This is more or less war work, and I think the time has come to consider t.ho position of home service men. Tho fact is there are hundreds of these meu (young solicitors, accountants, and others), and they should be called up and made to help with war work. There is no reason why it should not he done, and the time lias now come.

Mr. J.' W. Mac Donald, Public Trust solicitor, said the office had applied to the Minister of Defence to arrange to get some of its work done that way. The Minister had replied that he was advised that the work of the office was not war work, and that the matter could not then be arranged.

A member of the bonrd remarked that lio did not know what some of the work of the Public Trust Office was unless it was war work. Captain Walker: I understand that what Mr. MacUonald says is right; and that an amendment of the Act is necessary. It is time the amendment was made; there could be no better example of the need of it. Mr. Mac Donald: That would relieve us considerably. Captain Walker again; said, that there were trained men in the home service ranks who could be -used in the Public Trust Office to release other men. Mr. Mac Donald: Suppose they adopted the "go-slow" policy! Tho chairman (Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M.): Yes, it would be awkward if they slacked on it.

Captain Walker said they could 1)0 compelled to do the work.