EVASION OF WAR SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 256, 17 July 1918, Page 6

EVASION OF WAR SERVICE

LAST MAN ON THE FARM C MILITARY BOARD'S STATEMENT .At yesterday's sitting of the First Wellington Military Service Board, Mr. D. M'Laren (acting-chairman) said that lio wished to refer to a communication regarding the question of tho last man on the farm. It seemed that a great many people had been misled over the question, t and certain designing individuals were t taking advantage of the Government's i declaration that production must he f maintained. The following advertisement t had appeared in a Gisborno paper: "A c Sound Proposition.—-Bo the last man on the farm. Married or single, you are i 'pie on."' 300 acres, 20 miles from town, Not much woi'k. Grows 20' bales of wool. { Maoris shear sheep. You collect cheque and walk on velvet. Buy now. I'iico j .£IOO per acre. You know it's worth i twice the amount." Mr. M'Laren said that he did not ] know if whoever concocted the advertisement thought it would mislead any | Military Service Board, but he was certain that such appeals to selfishness i would not mislead this board. The i board had been guided solely by Section 18 of the Military Service Act. It had carefully considered the matter of keeping up production. It was necessary ; both to find men and as far as possiblo , maintain production. Many people had ( seemed disposed 'to set one of these | tilings against the other, but it was not i a question of production or military , service. The board had : viewed the | question of tho last man on the farm ; , from the standpoint of the actual condi- : tions which existed. It had come across 1 cases whore there was one farm before , the war and several farms by the timo ;', the appeal reached the board. These in-i stances told their own story. Then also , , there were cases of people recently buy- j ing into farms in order to "get out of > the wet" and avoid going on active ser-' , vice. The board would not be misled by ' such tactics. The board was acting equitably by the whole body of citizens, and that was the only way to retain the confidence of tho people.