MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 February 1917, Page 7

MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS.

| DAI It Y l'AltllEUS SEEK ItKL'KEj fcICTATIOX. At a conference of delegates of tin' ■' Taijtimki A. iind P. Societies held in I Ifawer.'. oil Monday, the chairman vemarked that dairy farmers felt that ' | they had not had sufficient representa•i f>un on the Military Service Boards, and that many of the appeals dealt with ny that Hoard, as at pre,sent constituted, , had jarred upon them. Ear mere generi ally would be better satisfied if Ihcro was a dairy farmer representative on the Hoard, at all events so far as Taranaki appeals were concerned. They realised that young men had to go to the "front, young farmers as well as' others, hut it. was felt that in many cases sutlieient consideration had not ueen given to th.> carrying on of their business. There were others with fewer responsibilities who could more easily be spared in the meantime, and the whole of the farmers J in Taranaki'would feel more satisfied If a dairy fanner were appointed to a seat on the Board adjudicating- on eases in this district.

Mr. Hawken pointed out that the dairy farmer was in quite a different position to the sheep farmer, With the dairy farmer it was not a question of management, but of actual work, and the suggestions put forward in the Wai-i-arapa would be utterly useless in Taranaki. Tf they take away a man who milked his cows it was difficult to see how they wore going to replace him; it was quite different with sheep farming, wh.ere one man. could overlook a large area of sheep country. Mr. Dingle could understand a tnaq being willing to take charge of sheep farming, but dairy farming was an alio. pother dilTerent proposition. Not only were the llovernnient taking men from fhe dairy farms, but they were taking 11-em from the factories as well, and it was very difficult to replace thorn. The! (:.-)irv factories were doing the best tlufy could to let the eligible men away, and the Military Service Appeal Board was doing its best;, they were doing good work, and farmers must not try to v, eaken their position. * ' It was resolved to recommend that, so far as Tarannki was concerned, a representative of the dairy fanning industry should be appointed to a sßat on the Military Service Appeal -Board.—Star.