TO-DAY’S SITTING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 3 September 1942, Page 2

TO-DAY’S SITTING

MORE ADJOURNMENTS GRANTED To-day the board dealt with the following cases:— The Bank of New Zealand appealed in respect of an employee, I. M. Deighton, a mari-ied man. The evidence was that reservist was a senior man in the Bank of New Zealand at Nelson, and had had 16 years’ experience. Before the outbreak of war the branch had a staff of 16 men, 10 of whom w r ere seniors. At the present time there were nine men, only six of whom were seniors, and eight girls. The use of inexperienced staff necessitated greatly increased supervision and instruction by senior officials. Two agencies had been closed down in the Nelson district. Evidence was given showing the importance of the services of the Bank of New Zealand to the Government, as they were agents for the Reserve Bank and did a great deal of Government business. These services to the Government could not be maintained efficiently if further depletions in staff were made.

The appeal was adjourned for three months.

The board heard an appeal from W. S. Howson in respect of an employee, R. G. H. Atkinson, a married man with four children, wffio was a pastrycookbaker in apepllant’s delicatessen shop. Reservist was the only male employee in the shop. Attempts had been made to replace him without success. The shop, together with a small branch, for selling only, was the only one of tis kind in Nelson. With< :t reservist the two shops would have to be closed down. Reservist was a grade 2 man and was serving in the E.P.S. The appeal was adjjurned sine die,

subject to reservist joining the Home Guard.

An appeal by E. E. Bishop was heard by the board. Reservist was engaged as watchmaker and stated in evidence that he hud on hand at present about 147 unfinished repair jobs which would take about 9 to 10 weeks to complete. He was working on his own. Reservist was a married man with two children, a class 2 man and a sergeant in the Home Guard, having done two weeks’ training at Burnham. The appeal was opposed by the Air Secretary who asked the board to consider reservist’s provisional acceptance for the R.N.Z.A.F. as an instrument repairer. The Air Secretary pointed out the demand for skilled watchmakers to undertake this type of work for the Air Force. The appeal was dismissed subject to reservist not being called up until 31st October. An appeal by the Vacuum Oil Co., Ltd., was heard in respect of an employee. H. Kay. a driver. Efforts had been made to replace reservist but without success. Reservist was the only driver employed by the company. It took three months to train a driver to the work, which, being concerned with dangerous goods, required special training. The appeal was dismissed subject to reservist not being called up before 31st October. An appeal was heard from E. D. Wilson, minister of religion. Reservist was an accredited minister having had 12 years in the ministry and five years in the Commonwealth Covenant Church of New Zealand. The appeal was upheld and adjourned sine die. An appeal was lodged by G. Cotton in respect of his son, L. A. Cotton, the only man employed in appellant’s butchery shop in Bridge street. Appellant had two shops and only one man in each. Reservist was a married man and a member of the Home Guard. It was impossible to find anyone to replace him. The appeal was adjourned sine die. The Board heard an appeal by E. W. Anglesey for an employee A. C. Griffiths (Mr E. B. Moore). The appeal was opposed by reservist, a married man with two children. The appeal was ldoged on the instruction of the Conservator of Forests to appeal for all men whose calling up would interfere with the production of pinus timber. Reservist was a key man in appellant’s business which supplied timber for apple and tomato cases.

The appeal was adjourned sine die. The Waimea Co-op. Dairy Co., Ltd., apepaled in respect ol an employee A. J. Smith, who was first assistant and butter-maker at the company’s factory. The position was a responsible one requiring the services of a skilled worker, which it would be impossible to fill under pi'esent labour conditions. The second assistant was due to go to camp shortly. If reservist was taken it would leave the company with only one man left of the original staff. The appeal was adjourned sine die. The board heard an appeal in respect of F. J. Hobern. a plumber, who was engaged in earthquake repair work in Masterton and likely to be required there until the New Year.

The appeal was adjourned until 31st January, 1943.

Reservist T. C. Lamb, a watchmaker, carrying on his own business in Nelson appealed for a postponement of service for three months to allow him to dispose of his business. Reservist had been provisionally accepted as an instrument repairer in the R.N.Z.A.F.

The appeal was dismissed subject to reservist not being called up before Ist December.

An appeal for C. T. Marshall was lodged by Freeman and Sons. Ltd. Reservist was first assistant baker at the company’s bakery and was the only qualified baker beside the foreman and the doughman. These three, including the doughman. were at present turning out 1150 loaves per man. Reservist was an n.c.o. in the Home Guard. The appeal was adjourned sine die. An appeal was lodged by G. P. Russell and Sons Ltd. in respect of an employee. E. G. J. Perfect. A postponement of service was sought for one month to allow’ the completion of a contract for school furniture The appeal was dismissed, subject to reservist not being called up for one month. Cash Wholesalers Ltd. appealed for three employees, K. B. Robinson, E. M.

I Canton and W. L. Goodman. The taut j appeal was supported by the Fir* Superintendent, Nelson. | Reservist Robinson was employed as manager of the company’s store in Takaka. Under the existing labour conditions the company had been unable to replace reservist. r he business at Takaka comprised a store anc’ delivery van. The delivery area extended to Or.ekaka, Hamama and Tarakohe. Reservist was a married man with one child. Out of an original staff of 14 men, nine had been taken for the armed forces. Some had been replaced by female labour. One shor in Nelson had been closed down solely on account of the shortage of labour. Reservist Canton was manager of the company’s Motueka branch. The staff there comprised Canton, one mate assistant graded C 3, and two junior boys. One man at Motueka had recently been called up. Reservist Goodman w as supervisor of all three units of the company at Nelson, Motueka and Takaka. He w'as the key man of the business and he had been with the company since 1933. In the Nelson branch there was one shop manager, a C 3 man, two female assistants and one youth nearly of military age. The appeals in respect of all three men were upheld and adjourned sine die, subject to reservists Robinson and Canton joining the Home Guard. The superintendent of the Nelson Fire Brigade (Mr A. J. Drummond) appealed for K. P. Ching, A. W. Glanville and M. F. Holmes. Reservist Ching, aged 18 years, was an auxiliary member of the Fire Brigade and as he worked next door the station and slept on the station was available night and day and was regarded as a most useful member of the service. Reservist Glanville, a married man,, was a member of the E.P.S. tire precautions service, as w-as Holmes, also a married man. Both had been members. of the service for two and a half years. * The cases in respect of all three were adjourned sine die.