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FOR WAR SERVICE.

Railway Men Released.

Wellington, May 24

The Third Wellington Military Service Board dealt with the matter of securing for military service 150 men the Railway Dapaitment is considered to have promised to release. Mr R. W, M’Villey attended to lepreseutthe Railway Department. Proceedings bsgan by the chairman remarking: Mr M’Villey, we want to arrive at some me.hod of getting hell of tbe men whom you can spare. Is has been sugge led by MiMack tlut fortv-fivs me.i havo vo*uutesi’cd. Mr M’V.liey : A number wauled to volunteer. Tbe chairman : Can you let ns have those men ?

Mr M’ViPey: Tb ; 3 number of men have teeu in tbe ballots, aud there inevitably wi 1 come a time when we will have to coll a bait. By giving volunteers to the-Defence Department and then having to deal with the balloted men we are goiDg to have difficulty unless we are given credit for the voluntary men. What we pro>pose to do is to give you 150 men. We have declined to let the voluntary

offio r<s go. Mr Mack : How many ? Mr MoYilley : About thirty. We are prepared to let these men go if we can get credit for them. If that is perfecily understood, and the Defeuoe Department agrees top, we know exactly whers wa are, and we shall get over the difficulty with our men, The cbairmau : I can’c see any objection to that, _j Captain Baldwin (military representative) : So long as the previous undertaking is carried out —that was, 150. available for the next reinforce'ment draft and a further 150 for the following drafr. - The ohairman : The number has not been'fixed. Mr Mack : What I uuderstand is that as a result of tbe reduced train seivices the Department has re’eised 150 men, which is all that it can spare. Captain B 1:1 win : Then the tbiDg is ridioulone. Does Mr McYiiley say that 150 men are ell fhe Departmentcan spur? after relucmg train services ? Mr McViiley ; No. 1 say nothing of the kind. Eqaaliy I did not say. when I gave 150 man that I would come along in a month with another 150. What I did say was that I would gave tbe board in four weeks’ time as many men as could be spared. As a matter of fact, 1 have had another ballot. Captain Baldwin: Can you give us the names of the men balloted so that they ran be medically examined ? Mr M’Yi'ley : Ye?, but I don’t want a misunderstanding or a suggestion that,l am trying to block the Board. Captain Baldwin : No, and I want you to get out of your head that we wish to do anything to jeopardise the work of your Department. You must remember that calculations have to be made, and in yonr case we are dealing with very large numbers. Mr M’Villey: You can’t get that information until I come before the Board. We are doing our best for the public and we are. doing the best we can to help you. What I want is a fair understanding. I am giving you so many men, and it would bo necessary if the Department needed more to make a second cut in the service. Captain Baldwin: Yon said yaa would be prepared to offer a scheme for the release of First Division men,

Mr M’Villey: I have never said anything of the kind. The chairman : I don’t remember that. . - Captain Baldwin: it is in your own writing. Mr M’Villey said that Captain Baldwin was tinder a misapprehension. Capta ; n Baldwin: If the rnnning of the New Zealand railways is of more importance than keeping oar obligations then The Cta ! rman : We have got to say bo. . Captain Baldwiu : What ! That the railways are more important than oar military obligations ! Thr chairman : That is for the Government to say, bnt if the railways are to be ran they have to be manned. Captain Baldwin: Do I understand that the position of the board is that they are going to accept 150 men and leave it indefinite as to when any more men go ? The ohairman : I think wa are all agreed that is the attitude we are going to adopt, We will take 150 as soon as we can get them and then leave the Department alone for a

period, Eventually the chairman read the following note be had made of the understanding arrived at— Mr M’Villey agreed to hand over as the result of his second ballot 200

men, the whole 400 to be medically examined as soon as possible, the result of the military examination to be at once put before the board, when the 150 men will be taken by the board for military purposes. Ihe Department to inform the Board on June 7 how many additional men can be spared and the corresponding; number of appeals withdrawn. Mr M’Viiley to make endeavours to release those who have volunteered, those released to be credited against the 150 now promised. /

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/HOG19170529.2.33

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1917, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
834

FOR WAR SERVICE. Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1917, Page 4

FOR WAR SERVICE. Hokitika Guardian, 29 May 1917, Page 4

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