MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1917, Page 8

MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

iHJSAS FOE EXEMPTION, • SITTING AT HAWEKA* The first Wellington Military So, vice Cob id—Messrs B. 0 A. Cooper. S.M., W l'trry, and D. McLaren—sat at Hawrea yesterday and dealt with pleas for exemption from military service. Captain Orr Walker represented the LVencc Department Sixty-four appeals were set down for hearing. Fourteen appellants came illtier the provisions of Clause So of the Military Service Act, and the remai-ulor were drawn in the first ballot. Seven appeals were withdrawn. The first appeal heard was that of William Pclrie, aped 24, dairy farmer, Stratford (Mr. Thompson), who asked fei time to enable him to finish the milking season. Appellant said lie was willing to go to the front, but had not e:ilisted before on account of the f-ivin which he manned for his father l! he were given four months' exemption In- would be satisfied. lie had two hi others, one of whom had returned from the front. He had three sist.-:rs, v.hc would perhaps be able to manage nc.vi season. •Tolm Pctrie, jeweller, Stratford, father of appellant, said he had bought fho fin ik for the hoy. ITe could not afford to pay more than £2 10s per week for labor. He was willing- to sell the esttlc lie had taken no steps to get labor. Captain Walker: What is the attitude of the farmers towards this question? .*io they going to sell out in every instance rather than make an effort to c; rry on the farms during the absence of reservists? If that is the case, the Government might take steps to make owners farm (their properties. Mr. McLaro>i: The Board has intimated again and again that it looks to reservists to at once make arrangements to get away when they are called up. The appeal was dismissed, leave being granted until April 1. i FACTORY MANAGER'S POSITION. The T. L. .Toll Dairy Company (Mr. Wdsh) appealed on behalf of Arthur h'-eiirriclc Kruse, chcosomakor, Knpiwi, on the ground of hardship. Evidence was given by the secretary of the company to:'the effect that Krus? should be retained in order to keep ;ij> tl i. supply of the country. To Captain Walker: No effort had Lf-rii made by the dairy factories to ob--1 .ill- statistics as to the available supply of men. The company had tried to get cheese-makers all this year, but advertising had been of no avail. The company were doing their best for the war, and ivere taking no .action vitli regard to men other than managers. Witness was unable to give defbtu information regarding others of the company's employees, and Mr. McLaren fo.id: "That is what you should knew. We want you to realise that your facte res have to be run in view of war renditions, and not as before the war. Eviry available means must be employid to release eligible men." Decision was reserved until further e' ,'dence was obtained. SOLE SUPPORT OF PARENTS. David Kiddie Young, aged 34, d'.iry fanner. Kaopokonui (Mr. P. OTJea\ a;,kcd for exemption because of liardsliin Appellant said his only brother had enlisted, leaving himself to manage a farm of 1(10 acres, on which he mHk";l 40 cows. He was assisted by Ids sister. lie supported his parents, who were over ill. The property was a native lease, and appellant thought it would be impossible to dispose of the goodwill and realise sufficient to keep his parcr.l.s. Decision was reserved sine /lie, proviced appellant reported himself monthly- and remained in his present occupaUNDER SECTION 25. Kenneth James Prestidge and Edward Johr. Prestidge appealed under Section I-;;"' Kenneth Prestidge had been declared by the Medical Board to be pennslvufly unfit. Edward John Prestidge, appealed ou the grounds Of religious objection. The appeal was dismissed, appellant being (•viuiled a month's leave in which to arrange his affairs. ' A MACHINERY EXPERT. Public interest was put forward as the ground of appeal by Victor Edgar Pullen, aged 2S, machinery expert, Eitham (Mr. Stewart). Appellant was a milking-machine expert, and he was perfectly willing to go to the front if the Board decided that he would he n ore useful there than at his present occupation. After further discussion the chairman said the Board did not think the' giounds of Appeal had been substantiated and must dismiss it. Michael McCarten, farmer, Pohokiira lMr. P. O'Deal appealed on the ground of undue hardship Evidence was given that appellant occupied a rough sheep farm in fie Wbaiigamomona district. He had been tiying hard to get rid of the farm T!;e appeal was dismissed, leave being allowed until April 30. Two brothers, Alfred George Grc.inirg. shepherd, and Henry Rayford Green ing, shearer and farm hand, Waitoiara. appealed on the ground of undue hardship. Evidence was given that the. appel hints were employed on a farm of 5M ceres, on which sheep and cattle a'UO sVued. Seven men who had been i-in-phyed on the farm had enlisted, and they had not. been replaced owing to the siiortase of labor. The Board dismissed the appeal if Alfred George, and granted him leave until March 4. The appeal of H"ury Rayford was ail- . jcurncd sine die. provided his brother pr.ttes the medical examination and that ( he reports himself monthly to the mil'tan- authorities and remains in his pres■■l.t position. j

An appeal was lodged on beha : f of I'Vuiik O'fieillcy by his employers, Emsley Bros., who" were conducting a farm at Waverley. it was stated "that the ffrin was very short-handed, and if I'Vnnk O'Reilly had to go to the front, on the farm would be reduced., Decision was adjourned until April "(i, exemption being granted iu the meantime. Gerald O'Reiliey, farmer, Waverhv. I'll, had been before the Medical Board anl had been 'lasscd for home sen-ice. \mii; granted exemption indefinitely so hi.g as he repots himself monthly ai.d n mains at his present employment. Denh: Ryan, draughtsman," Ilawr-ra v lir. Welsh), appealed on the ground of limine hardshin. When his father died five yoara ago he left a widow and ten children. Two of the sous had enlisted. Appellant asked for time in which to,make a,rangemonts regarding property which «•».- on his hands.

"' The appeal was dismissed, and leave 1 until March I was granted. c Extension of time was asked for by s Phillip Arthur Mac-Donald, dairy fat'ner, ' Kakaramca (Mr. Spralt). 'J Appellant said there were four br.ii'uI ei-s in the family, one of whom was in II the second division Two had enlist'd J before the appellant was served with ;' his notice, and had been turned down. '■ Cue of these was drawn in the ballot c aid would app.-ar before the Board at Wa-nganui on Saturday. '' The hearing was adjourned until Sat " uvday. Eiederick Albert Sannc, farmer, Slralr ford, who asked for time, said he had 1 I ecu rejected twice and had ente.od u( en a share-milking contract. J The ease was adjourned until the next • silting of the Board, the appellant to he Medical Boarded in the meantime. ' The ease of tteuben Hartley, laborer, J Awatuna, who has lost the sight of his p left eye, was adjourned until the u-.-xl - sitting of the Board at Hawera. ■William Ttwmas Tyrrell, sharemi'ki-r. Xgaere (Mr. a. L. Weir) was granted ' leave until May 27. 5 The appeal of James Albert Malone. dairy farmer, liiverlca (Mr. P. O'Deni, ' was dismissed. Samuel Love, sheep farmer, Mceroa, asked for time, and was given leave i ntil March 4. The appeals of Joseph William Green- ', l-'il, cheese packer, Knupokonui; Lawrence Prescott Hamerton, farmer, Puni-v'-akau; Reginald Gervase Hamerton, farmei) Puniwhakau; Eustace Legard Hi n erton, drover, Patea, were withdi awn. AN EVANGELIST'S APPEAL. Unusual circumstances wore disclosed in connection with the appeal of Frederick Peter' Plews, who asked for exemption on the ground of conscientious objection and undue hardship. Appellant, who was So year? of age, described himself as a travelling evangelist, and a member of a body called the Testimony of Jesus. He had belonged to this sect for five years. He had no fixed abode, and travelled throughout New Zealand. Appellant said the body referred to based its beliefs on Iho teachings of the .New Testament, which taught that we should love our enemies,/bless them that curse us, and be good'to.those who spitefully use us. The Chairman: Is there "no other document you use?—No, only the New Testament. Why don't you use the Old Testament?— Because we think the New Testament is the fulfilment of the promises made in the Old. The Chairman: Do you believe in the doctrine that when struck you should turn the other check to the striker?— I do. Could you turn up that reference in the Bible before you?— No. Where is the passage referring to "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth? 1 ' —I don't know. , As a religious man, I think you should be able to.—Appellant: I have had no sleep for two nights, and cannot thinkvery, clearly. I assure you my beliefs are genuine. I want you to know that I have sacrificed everything in life—my prospects, and all my interests in this world—for God. The Chairman: Turn up the first chapter of Numbers, and read the first three and the last verses. Appellant read as follows:—"And the Lord spake unto Aloses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year: after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 'Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families by the house.of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls; from twenty years old and upward,; all that are able to go forth to war in Israel; thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. . . . And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did they." When he had completed the reading, the appellant observed: ''But the people of Israel were earthly people." The Chairman: Then what are yuo?— f belong to the Kingdom of God. The Chairman: Then you are not an earthly bejng?—l have an earthly body, hut belong to the Kingdom of God. I have sacrificed all I have to God's cause,-, and would ..rather die than take up any v ; other attitude in life. Mr. McLaren: Will you undertake to do ambulance or other non-combatant work in connection with the war? —1 refuse to g,ivu any such undertaking. The Chairman: Then that settles it. Xow with regard to the ground of hardship, what objection have yon?— There is a section of the community interested in me. The Chairman: Ft must not be a section, but the public that must be con- , cemed. > The Appellant: It would he undue hardship to myself to go. Appellant re- ' iterated his plea concerning the sneri- i Ikes he had made, and added: "f i don't think it is in the hands of any 1 individual to say what another should ] do. That was in the hands of God. | The Chairman: Pardon me. As far as | coiir earthly existence is concerned, it | is in the hands of the Defence Depart- i inent: j Appellant: I must be true to God at I all costs. The Cliairmana: The appeal is dis- I missed. i ' i The Appellant: Alay I say that in the s United Kingdom our appeals are a!- i lowed. * ; The Chairman: You may say it, jut •: it doesn't alter matters, " We' are not t governed by the laws in the United i Kingdom, t