MINERS WANT TO PARADE

Southland Times, Issue 24869, 8 October 1942, Page 4

MINERS WANT TO PARADE

Exemption Order Criticized “Members of the Ohai Company of the Home Guard, the majority of whom are mine workers, are absolutely disgusted with the order. The Ohai Company is efficient and the majority ot its members are keen, and it is a shame to see it being practically stamped out by this order.” This is what a reporter of The Southland Times was told when he made inquiries yesterday about the attitude of miners to the order exempting them from Home Guard parades. .The reporter was also told, with a touch of local pride, that Ohai had the best and most efficient Home Guard company in the whole of Southland. It was not claimed that every member of the company was “as keen as mustard. There were men who had joined the company by order of the Armed Forces Appeal Board after they had been granted exemption from military service. Some of these men, not having joined voluntarily, were not at all keen. But these were a small minority. The great majority were very keen, but the attitude they took up was that if the slackers were not going to be compelled to parade, then they did not see why they should parade either. The reporter was assured that the Miners’ Union had had nothing to do with the order. It had not made any request to the autthorities for such an order. An inquiry about the possible reason for the order brought the answer: “We do not know.” It was not in the interest of increased production, and it was not because miners, because of their work, did not have the time and opportunity to attend parades. “The men here are home from their work by 3.15 p.m. so there is no reason why they should not attend Home Guard parades,” the reporter was told. The opinion was expressed that the order might upset the Home Guard throughout New Zealand because workers,in other industries might say: “Why should the miners be exempted?” “Make the protest against this order as strong as you like. There will be no back-lash from Ohai,” was the advice of one miner. n EXEMPTION ONLY PARTIAL (P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 7. The extent of the exemption of coal-' miners from the Home Guard was explained by the Minister of Industrial Man-Power, the Hon. A. McLagan. The Minister said that with the authority of the Adjutant-General of the Forces, Brigadier A. E. Conway, there was a temporary arrangement enabling miners to be exempted from attending particular parades, but they were not exempted from service in the Home Guard and where they desired to do so they were entitled to attend parades. RECENT APPOINTMENTS The following members of the Home Guard in No. 12 group, who have held the rank of lieutenant, have been appointed captains:—W. R. Harris (Invercargill, battalion), A. C. E. Stevens, A. E. Gibb, M.M., H. W. Newman, M.C., and G. T. Matheson (Awarua battalion). The following second lieutenants have been appointed lieutenants: —A. V. Jordan, G. R. Waddel (Awarua battalion). The following have been appointed second lieutenants:—N. Berndtson, P. Moffitt, C. Barry, J. H. Doyle, A. E. Farrant, W. J. Caldwell, A. J. Collie, G. McDermott, R. N. Porter, G. C. Jennings (Awaraua battalion), L. Norris, S, F. Lunn, R. H. A. Smith, D. L. Grant, A. R. McKenzie (Invercargill battalion). A. J. Earl (Five Rivers), which is in No. 12A group, has been granted the temporary rank of captain. TRAINING CAMPS FAVOURED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 7. A statement that he favoured the establishment of Home Guard training camps was made by the commandant of the Central Military District, Colonel H. M. Foster. One was in being, he said, and he was awaiting authority to start two more similar camps in the Poverty Bay district. He was satisfied these camps would reveal Maoris with leadership and provide an opportunity for them to train for commissioned appointments. At the same time these schools would also provide suitable material from Europeans which would not otherwise be found.