MILITARY SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1917, Page 4

MILITARY SERVICE.

THE GOAL MINEEB' APPEALS. BOARD TAKKS A FIRM STAN©. OUTPUT MUST BE KEPT UP TO NORMAL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Grcymouth, Last Night. The Military Appeal Board delivered the following 'statement with regard to the coal miners' appeals:—These appeals are made on the grounds that these men nr<! essential to the welfare of the country in the production of coal. It is on these grounds, and on these grounds only, that these appeals have been allowed. It now appears from evidence, and from press reports, that there has been a material reduction of the output at the mines, and this seems to be the result of concerted action. Exemption to miners has taken the form of an adjournment of the appeals sine die, this being the only method of keeping them out of subsequent ballots. No conditions, other than that they remain in their present employment, have been imposed in the adjournments already mode, but the new development, in which the. exempted miners appear to be participating, make it .necessary for Appeal Boards to impose additional conditions on any exemptions made. The condition the Board intends to impose is that the output of the mines must be kept up to the normal The Board will not grant exemptions on tbe grounds that men are required for an essential indusn try only to find that the exempted men deliberately reduce the output from thq mines. The cases that have been adjourned sine die may be called up foe consideration by the Boards when circumstances, or a change of conditions, warrant it. Wo therefore propose tq adjourn all these cases until the next sitting, and to call up for further oom eideration all the cases already ads journed sine die. If it is found that this reduction continues, the Board will rei consider the whole position and grant exemptions subject only to the condition that the output from the mines is kept up, and this condition must be otM served without evasion of any kind, whether the evasion arises from the miners taking unnecessary time from their work, or by reducing the normal output during working time, or m the result of the "go slow" policy. As thft miners have not had an opportunity oi considering this condition with respect to their appeals, these casea will all stand adjourned till our next sitting, and notice will be sent out for further coni sideration of the exemptions already granted. The condition will apply to the cases of appeal by mine managers on behalf of the miners, and miner* api peals on their own behalf.