MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1917, Page 3

MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

Position of Railways. (Per Press Association. —Copybigut.] Gretmouth, Jan 15 Race trains and railway employees were referred to in dealing with appeals before the Canterbury Military Service Board.

Mr Hessell, Traffic Clerk, instructed by the General Manager, asked the Board to exempt local railway servants in the ballot on the ground that they were required to efficiently carry on the work of the railways. In Westland section they had thirteen firemen training for positions aa drivers, ten of whom had enlisted and gone to the front and cleaners were moved np to their places. There were only three boiler-makers in Westland section and they wers indiapensible for the work. The West Coast railways were absolutely of an essential nature,

The Chairman, Mr Evans, S.M , remarked that at least two Appeal Boards bad spoken adversely in regard to race trains. He a>ked if such affected the work of the West Coast staffs.

Mr Hessell replied that the railways here carried prineip liy coal end timber. Last year the local lines carried two tone of minerals to everv one passenger, whilst the timber hauled amounted to over fifty-one million feet.

It was impossible to reduce further without impairing the efficiency of the service. The Chairman remarked that the Board did not presume to dictate to the manrgemeut how to run its business. Whilst not going so far as to express the opinion that raoa trains should be abolished, the Board held that sports generally, where they entailed extra work for eligible men and unproductive expenditure as well as wasting time and money, should be curtailed. Race trains appeared

unimportant in the bearing on railway men in the ballot on the West Coast, All the railway appeals so far dealt with have been ad journed sine die.