GALLED FOR SERVICE

Evening Star, Issue 23698, 4 October 1940, Page 9

GALLED FOR SERVICE

APPEAL PROCESS EXPLAINED FACTORS THAT WILL COUNT t Ft,'Om Orii l’.u;i.iAMi'.\'T,u;y Itimoirrcn.) WELLINGTON. October J. Appeals against service with the Territorial Force hy men called up in the ballot will be heard in public by the manpower committees, the Minister of National Service (Hon. R, Semple) said to-day, although the committees may in any particular case, having Pegard to the interests of the appellant and of the other persons concerned, hold the appeal in private. The Minister said that magisterial boards Would bo appointed to hear appeals against overseas service. The policy laid down by the Government to be followed by the fhanpbwer cdnirWittees in the hearing of appeals was defined by Mr Semple. He said instances would not infrequently arise in appeals brought on the grounds of undue hardship where a request would be made that the hearing be in private. “ Sympathetic consideration will be given in SfiCh cases,” the Minister said. “ The committees have been recommended to deal with a request of this nature by calling for a brief outline of the facts in camera before deciding to grant leave. In appeals on the grounds of undue hardship where the financial position of the appellant or coappellant is relevant, serious embarrassment may be occasioned in having the details ventilated in public. The committees have been asked to exercise discretion as to the taking of such evidence in private if a request is made to this effect, or of permitting a written statement io be put in.” In general the procedure to be followed under the regulations in respect of men drawn in the ballot differed very little from the existing practice as applied to volunteers, Mr Semple said. While the utmost care had been taken to secure a proper balance in the manpower requirements for the armed forces on the one hand, and industry generally on the other, there was no provision for the complete reservation of any industry or occupation. Wido rights of appeal were designed adequately to safeguard industry where it was in the public.interest to do so, but each case had to be dealt with on its merits and having regard to the circumstances at the time the man was called up for service. PUBLIC INTEREST PARAMOUNT. ” Consideration of ‘ the public interest ’ will be a matter of paramount interest,” Mr Semple continued, “ but the committees will keep carefully in mind the fact that the incidence of Territorial service is not comparable with that of overseas service. To send a skilled worker out of the country for overseas service is a far more serious matter than merely to divert him from his normal occupation for the limited period of Territorial training. Nevertheless, the importance of some industries or occupations is such that it will be unwise to permit any interruption by sending a man to campeven for a short period. On the other hand, the importance of an occupation may be merely seasonal, and a postponement of service'the only relief justified. Man-power must be considered on the basis of national service, not merely of military service.” Stressing the necessity for bringing the Territorial Force up to and maim taining it at full war strength, the Minister said it was expected that the committees would generally find that reasonable arrangements could in most cases be made to enable a man called up to be made available for service, if not immediately, then after a reasonable period of postponement. FOUR GROUNDS OF APPEAL. Four grounds of appeal are classified. The first is status—that when called up a man was not a member of the reserve or had lawfully ceased to lie a British subject, or that when so called up he was a member of some other class, the calling up of which had not been authorised. The grounds of appeal are available only to tho person called up.

The second is that by reason of his occupation the calling up of a man was contrary to the public interest. Tho man, any other person, or the Director of National Service may make the appeal, but no appeal can be “ allowed ”on this ground. If the circumstances Avarrant the granting of relief this can be afforded by Avay of adjournment only. A similar disalloAvanco _is provided in cases of undue hardship for which there are two grounds—that by reason of a man’s domestic circumstances or for any other reason the calling up would moan undue hardship to the man, or that undue hardship Avould he caused to tho person presenting the appeal. The fourth ground is that a man conscientiously objects to serving ivith tho armed forces, and it is a\milable only to the man concerned. A man-poAvcr committee has no jurisdiction to deter mine an appeal on this ground. A special provision has been made for the remittance of these appeals to tho Director of National Service for reference to an Armed Forces Appeal Board. If the appeal is alloAvecl the man becomes a member of the third division of the general reserve, it dismissed, the appeal wi 11 be referred back to the committee if there are other grounds of determination. Appeals in respect of public servants Avould be dealt Avith by the committees, the Minister explained. In order to obtain complete uniformity all the State departments had been directed to forward particulars of all servants for whom a postponement avos desired to the director, Avho Avould lodge appeals in cases doomed necessary. On grounds other than public interest, public servants Avill lodge their own appeals. Appeals on the grounds of public interest Avill he made to the committees by tho board concerned employing school teachers.

AWAIT ARMY OFFICE NOTICE

AIR FORGE APPLICANTS [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, October 3. . In a statement issued by Army Headquarters regarding men called by ballot, attention is drawn to tho fact that a man who is called, provided his name and address are correctly shown in the ‘ Gazette,’ is not required to take any further action until he receives a notice from the Army Office to report for medical examination or some other purpose. In many cases men who have been called in the ballot have applied to join the Air Force, but it should be noted that arrangements have been made to defer in the meantime the medical examination of such men for Territorial Force purposes. Those who come v/ithin the following groups will be deferred until it is known whether they are accepted by the Air Force; —(1) Men awaiting selection; (2) Selected, but not yet medically examined; (3) Selected and medically examined, but not yet attested in the Royal New Zealand Air Force reserve. If any man included in the above groups should receive notice from the Army, he should at once communicate with the nearest Army Office and act in accordance with the instructions which he will then receive. In addition, it is possible in a few cases that men already attested in the Royal New Zealand Air Force reserve have been included in the ballot. These men

will not be called up for the Territorial Force, and should at o.ice communicate with the nearest Army Office. It is also proposed to defer the medical examination of men who have been previously medically examined for the army, and there is no need for such men to take any action until they receive notice from the Army Office. The main object of ;his statement is to advise the men referred to in the above classes that they should wait for orders from the army and refrain from calling on or communicating with the Army Department. A large amount of correspondence has already been received and this is causing much unnecessary work which it is desired to avoid. It is also pointed out that if a_ man’s address is incorrectly shown in the ‘ Gazette ’ or in the notice of his having been drawn in the ballot, which has been sent to him by tbc Director of National Service, he is required to notify the director and the nearest Army Office promptly of his correct address.

MUST REGISTER PUNITIVE PROVISION FOR "SLACKERS"In a statement to-night, the Minister of National Service (Mr Semple) made it plain that every possible step was being taken by the Government to ensure complete registration m the first division of the general icserve. Unfortunately, he said, there were a few slackers in the country, and it wan against them that the punitive clauses of the regulation, which the Government would not hesitate to use. weio aimed. Mr Semple pointed out that it was specifically laid down in the regulations that every eligible man was a reservist, whether he registered or not. Failure to register rendered an offender iiehie to a fine of £IOO or 12 months’ imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment. In addition, on conviction, he might be sent to amp immediately without waiting for a ballot.