MILITARY SERVICE BOARD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3141, 20 July 1917, Page 8

MILITARY SERVICE BOARD

YESTERDAY'S APPEALS APPEAL FOR HOSPITAL DOCTOR The Third Wellington Military Service Board continued its sittings iu AVellington yesterday. The. board consists of ilr. il. J. Beswick (chairman), Mr. AV. ,1. Mnolc, nncl Mr. A. O'L. Considine. Captain P Baldwin is the military representative. Jlr. 11. Baldwin, chairman of the Wellington Hospital Board, appeared in support of an appeal for the exeniptio/i of Willimn Douglas Fitzgerald, house surgeon at tlio Wellington Hospital. Mr. Baldwin said that tlio Hospital was bad-' ly under-staffed, and considerable difficulty was being experienced in carrying on tile ordinary operations of the institution. The board had been compelled to make the appeal. In 1911, the average number of patients, treated at the Hospital wa* 311, excluding out-patients. The stall' then consisted of a medical superintendent, a senior honse-surgeon, and three junior -house-surgeons. The daily average number of patients now was increased to 377, an increase of 22 per day, excluding soldiers. The- daily average number of soldiers was 10.. The staff now comprised a medical officer supplied by the Government, a medical superintendent, a senior house-surgeon (Dr. Mill), and Dr. Fitzgerald. Dr. Mill would go into cauip very- shortly, leaving only the three medical 'officers. Dr. Fitzgerald had no desire to appeal,. but ho felt that he had a duly to his country, and must discharge it in one of two ways: lie might;join the army, or he might remain behind to look after the health of the community. Dr. AV. J. Barclay, medical superintendent, stated that the Hospital 'was so under-staffed-that he almost .felt that lie would havo to close down the oufc-nali-

Dr. W. J. Barclay, medical superintendent, stated that the Hospital 'was so under-staffed that he almost .felt that lie would have to close down the outpatients' department. All the doctors outside were extremely busy. To bis mind, it was absolutely essential-that the supply of house-surgeons should be kept up, and lio thought it was a. pity some arrangement could not be mado by which students, on completing their course of medical study, could bo obtained to do at least six months' work at the Hospital. Tho shortage of medical men was it serious matter for all hospitals. Tho chairman: I'm afraid we can't go into that. Tiny board adjourned the case siue die. An Interesting Case. hi (he case of Ernest Arthur Bennett, general storekeeper, of Northland. Sir John Findlay, H.C., said that his client wjis very anxious indeed to servo liis country. When the war broke out, lie sold his business in one of the suburbs of Wellington, and proceeded to England to see his sisters, from- whom he hail been separated for years. Ho inimedi.atelj' enlisted in England, but was rejected for kidney trouble. He was most .emphatically told that he had no chimin of' Seeing active service,.and that the best thing ho cuuld do was to return to New Zealand and carry on his business there. }lo came back with two unmarried sisters, and they Invested tho whole of their capital in a general store. Kelying on tho medical examination ho had undergone m England, lio thought there was no possibility of his being called upon lo serve, and lio undertook big responsibilities. 110 was drawn in the ballot about a month ago, and was called upon. to go into camp within thirteen days. He nsked tho board to give him four months' leavo to enable him to teach a, brother-in-law how to carry cn the,business. The board granted leave till September l'J. • / ' ■ Is Meat Inspection Necessary? Mr. F. S. Pope, secretary of the Department of Agriculture, appealed for tho exemption of Charles 'CopesUke.nicat inspector, of JVliangarci. Tho chairman said that tho question, was whether Copestnke could best servo his country by going to tho Iron): or infleeting meat at Whaugarci. "Suppose all tho meat inspectors went began Mr. Eeswick. Mr. Pope': The position would be that tho public, including tho soldiers at tho front, woidd bo subject to tho risk of consuming diseased meat. Tho chairman: After all, it is only during tho lust few years that ivo Lavo had inspection of meat. We got on'all right in tho past. Ifr. t'ope: That raises (lio whole question of whether meat inspection is ncccssary. The chairman said that exigencies might demand that meat inspection should lo some extent bo done without. He was afraid that the situation, did not warrant the board exempting Copestakc. The appeal would bo dismissed, and loavo till August 22 would be granted. Other Appeals. Tho board adjourned sino die tho appeals made on behalf of Herbert Norton and P. W. Sanders, clickers in tho employ of .Robert Hannah and Co., Ltd. Tlio chairman told appellants that they must not consider that indefinite exemption had been granted. Tbe firm had better try to lilt tho men's places. Hcctor Rewi Wood, farm band, of Nairn Street, satisfied the board that ho was under military age. His appeal was allowed. , Appeals by tho chief secretary of the Salvation Army, on behalf ot Harry Chard, Basil Thomson, and John Graham, Salvation Army officers, were adjourned siue die. Tho decision will bo reviewed before tho Second Division, is called up.

The employers of Arthur .John Drew, Robert Moncricff, and 'William il'Kinuon appealed for their exemption. Ilrew, Monerieff, and M'Kinnon were shown to he seafaring men, and the hoard adjourn-, ed the appeals sine die, on the understanding that the men must remain in their present occupation. ', An appeal on behalf of Francis Dell, wireless operator, of Awarua, was similarly dealt with. . An appeal by tho Commissioner of Stamps for tho exemption of Ernest H. Barretv, stamp clerk, of Napier,- was dismissed. Leave to August '12 was gi anted. Barrett's personal appeal was set down for hearing at Napier. Appeals on behalf of Daniel G.-Lano and Harry Speed,, wireless' telegraphists, were adjourned sine die.' The board dismissed tho appeal-of Ser-geant-Major "K. .T. Irvine, of the ' 28th Monuted Rifles, Featlierston.. It dealt: similarly with an appeal on behalf of Robert Melville .0. Thompson, daily farmer. Reilairangi. Thompson was granted leave till September 18. Privato G. Hell, a. man now in camp, was granted fourteen nays' leave, to be taken in October. L. ,T. Williamson, chemist Hataitai, was allowed leave till August 22. Appellant was a voluntary- recruit. The appeal of .Tames Harper was dismissed, and appellant'was granted letive' till August 22.