MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 February 1917, Page 6

MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

x APPEALS FOR EXEMPTION. A STORE-MANAGER'S DIFFICULTY. Tlie first Wellington Military Service Board concluded its sitting in New Plymouth yesterday. The Board comprised. Messrs D. 0. A.' Cooper, S.M., D. McLaren, and 0. S. Williams. Captain Orr Walker appeared on behalf of the. Defence Department. The first apneal heard was that of Norman Errol Sampson, store manager, Sentry Hill, aged 27. who appealed on the ground of 'indue hardship. TTe said he had hcon hefore the Medical Board and had boon deferred until March -. TTe had previously been before two doctors and had been told .by both that he would not pass, mvin? to a weak heart. Con°enuontly he had undertaken liabilities which he would not have done had be expected to go to the front. If he had to go )i% mother would dispose of the business. Apprllant said a large ■ nroneriion of the work consisted of delivering.

The chairman: T am afraid the people in these parts %vill have to get their own goods themselves, as they are now doing in England and in some parts of New Zealand.

Appellant: Yes, it looks as if they will have to do thai in many cases. But in our case it wouldn't do. for 1 think wo would lose our business.

The chairman: You say it is the only store on Sentrv Hill?

Appellant: Yes. but in these days of motors I think the people would transfer their business to New Plymouth.

Appellant, in reply to Captain Walker, said his father owned a farm on which other male members of the family were engaged. Many of his customers were Maoris, and ijnly he, with his knowledge of the language, was especially qualifiedto collect the money owing by them to his mother. To Mr. Williams: None of his brothers knew anything of store-keeping. Appellant, when asked if lie would at once take steps to find a buyer, said he would not sell the business if he was turned down for the front and was not required for home service. He did iu>s know whether he would be accepted. Mr. McLaren: I suppose you realise that there are very insistent calls for men at the present time?— Yes. I do and T am prepared to" do my bit if I am called on. The ease was adjourned until the first sitting of the Board subsequent to March 2. A RESERVIST REPROVED. Adrian Stanley Marett, farmer, Veale road, who was called up under Clause 35, appeared before the Board. Tlionnton Alexander Marett had been classed '■\ and had withdrawn his appeal. Captain Walker said the man had really not appealed at all. He merely wrote to the Comm irtdant, protesting that as a brother had been killed'at the front, he should not have beejf'called up under the Family Shirkers r Clause. It was adduced that the brother referred to was not a brother at all. but a boy who had been adopted by Marett's parents. Since he was 17 he had not been near the Maretts. and his sister j was his next-of-kin.

Captain Walker: Is it true that he was turned adrift? Marett: Not at all.

Captain AValker: It is quite improper that this man should come here and ask for exemption on the ground that this poor fellow, jvho had not been a brother at all, had been killed.

Marett: I understood he was regarded as a brother.

Captain Walker: It would have been much more to the point had von gone forward when the boy was killed, and taken his place in the firingflino. The chairman: The case is dismissed. o ■ HTS FATHER'S HEALTH.

Undue hardship was the ground on which Kenneth Corbett, cheese factory employee, Bell Block, aged 23, appealed. Appellant said he appealed on account of the health of his father, who had been ill for 15 years and who could only do light work. His father owned a farm of 50 acres, on which 17 cows were milked. Four acres were laid down in crops. Appellant assisted his mother and father in his snare time. -He was the only son. and if he went away 3i"is parents would have to get labor to assist them. His father had had a great deal'of difficulty in gettjng help with the ploughing. Appellant enlisted 13 months ago, and was passed, but the doctor advised him to wait on account of his father's health. His people were not well-to-do. To Captain Walker: He had two married sisters living in Taranaki. After consideration, the Board dismissed the appeal, and granted leave until April 1. CYCLE IMPORTER'S CASE. William Charles- Bransgrove, motor and cycle importer, New Plymouth (Mr. A. A. Bennett) appealed on the ground of undue hardship. Appellant and hi? brother, T. 11. Bransgrove, were called up under Clause 35. The for.mer had also been drawn in the ballot. Both had been passed as fit.

Counsel said it would be very convenient if both appeals could be heard together. The present appellant was in business on his own account. His brother was a newspaper runner. The appellant wanted three months in order to give him a chance of disposing of the business..

Captain Walker: You have to prove a very strong case before you can show that a newspaper runner cannot be replaced.

Counsel: Wait until you hear the evidence. This runner gets up at fofti ir the morning, and takes .the. Taranr.ki Daily News to Hawera by motor. Vox some reason T. H. Bransgrove had not received notice to attend the Board. Counsel asked that both cases be taken contemporaneously.

The Board decided to hear the case before the Board.

Evidence was given by the appellant that he had been trying to dispose of his business through travellers and agents ever since the Military Service Act came into operation. He would have enlisted before but for this difficulty. A Mr. Bryant, a farmer of Uruti, had agreed to take over the business, but he could not do so until the end of May, when the milking season would bo over.

Captain Walker: What will this farmer do with his cows?

Appellant: Sell them, I think

Captain Walker.- It is rather unusual for a dairy farmer to sell out and take over a cycle business.

Counsel: He has to do so owing to health reasons. (Japtsiin Walker: I tMijc tfiere is a good deal of selfiehnoss in the matter.

disposed of his business before this, or that Mr. Bryant could take it over hefore the end of May? Counsel: I don't think Captain Walker is justified in taking up the attitude he is. This appellant has sworn that he will give up his business at the earliest possible moment.

Captain Walker: The appellant has evidently come to the Board with the whole matter arranged as to when he should go into camp. The cafe was adjourned until the next sitting of the Board at New.Plymouth, to enable Mr. Bryant to attend and give evidence as to how soon he can take over the appellant's business. A DUTIFUL FAMILY. William Arthur Brown, dairy farmer. Inglcwood, asked for exemption on the ground of public interest and undue hardship. He was 2(5 years of age, and was married. He and his brother owned a farm of 130 acres, and he milked 40 cows. This brother was at'the front. His only other brother was killed at Callipoli. Appellant also assisted his father, who had a farm of 150 acres. iHis father was retiring from public life, and when he had quite recovered from a recent accident he would work hi* own farm. Appellant added that whin the country was properly organised, and all luxuries banished, he would go to the front voluntarily. Decision was reserved sine die, appellant being granted exemption in the meantime, and was ordered to report himself monthly to the officer commanding the district. ■ , -.LEAVE FOR SLAUGHTERMEN. An application under the regulations gazetted on January 10, 1917, was preferred by Messrs T. Borthwick and Sons on behalf of Walter Fuller, slaughterman, Waitara. Evidence was given by Mr. Lennon, manager of the Waitara Works, that Fuller volunteered for service and went into camp last August. He was there for about four months, and witness saw the Hon. A. M. Myers, and asked that Fuller be granted leave in order to carry on his work at Waitara. The request was acceded to, the freezing works being regarded, in the same light as a munitions factory, and leave was granted until December 31. As the result of further representations, leave was extended till March 31 of this year. The firm now asked that leave be granted until August 31, the end of the, 1 killing season, or such time previous to that date as the Board might decide. To the chairman: The full complement of the Board was eight. One man had left, and there were now seven men employed. Mr, McLaren: The Government had intimated that there would be a further fombing-out of exempted men before the Second Division was called on Witness: We are. not conniving at any attempt to keep men without good cause. It is no use sending men to the front unless you have provisions to supply to Iheh. To the Board: There would be no difference in the output if Fuller .went to the front, but his going would impair the efficiency of the works and would increase the work of others on tlic board.

Mr. McLaren: With regard to the complement and the number of slaughtermen employed, you are at an advantage .compared with other freezing works.

To the Board: Our capacity is equal to an average of 150 carcases per day There are very few calves. ' Leave was granted until the end ot April. APPEALS DISMISSED. : The following'appeals were formally dismissed for the reasons stated:— Alf 5 red Moore Southam, merchant tailor, New Plymouth, Class C2 (struck out); Wiliiam Norman Perry, saddler, New Plymouth, Class B2 (withdrawn;; Frederick John Mills, hotelkeeper, Tariki, Class D (withdrawn); Sidney John Mackie, farm laborer, Waitara, Class A (not supported by evidence); Robert Percy Honner, dairy farmer, Brixton Class Dd (withdrawn); Adam Findlay, New Plymouth, Class C2 (no appearance) ; Bertram Pearn, New Plymouth. 02 (withdrawn); Leonard Carter, New Plymouth, Class A (no appearance); Edgar Jules Barrett Johns, farmer, Bell Block, Class D (withdrawn); William Henry Holmes, farm hand, Bell Block, Class C2 (withdrawn); Percy Hendritksen, laborer, Bell Block, Class A (no appearance); Thomas Evans, farmer, Waitara, Class A (granted leave for a month); Urban Broadmore, farmer, Inglewood,'Class A (withdrawn); Norman Kinsella, joinery apprentice, New Plymouth, Class A (no appearance): John David Easlhope, platelayer, Young street (no appearance); George William Dobson, Inglcwooit, Class C2 (withdrawn) ; Ingram Alexander Charles Colson, dairy farmer, New Plymouth, Class C2 (withdrawn); Alfred Edwin Bennett, road-maker, Inylcwood (no appearance). HAWERA APPEALS. The following appeals will be hoard at llawcra to-morrow:—Michael Kavannh, dairy farmer, Ilawera; Thomas Kavanagh, dairy farmer, Hawcra; Ernest Frank Cox, dairy farmer, Opunake; Thomas Samuel Cox, farmer, Opunake; John James Fennell, farmer, Opunake; John Armstrong Shearer, farmer, Okaiawa; Robert George Shearer, farlner, Okaiawa; James Patrick .Mahoney, sharemilker, Okaiawa; Charles Angwin, laborer, Makahu; Samuel Brown, farmer, Cardiff; Thomas Henry Free, shearer, Waitara; Patrick Edward Callaghan, farmer, Ngaere; Thomas Charles .Bencfield, farmer, Korito; Samuel Ernest Chapman, farmer, Tariki; Albert Arthur Chapman, farmer, Tariki; Laurence Coutts, laborer, Waipuku; Martin Patrick Ford, farmer, Makahu; Louis Fcltham Newman Cane, dairy farmer, Inaha; Leonard Eugene Hann, farmer. Stratford: Robert William Harris, dairy farmer, Okaiawa;.Timothy Patrick Harris, dairy farmer, Okaiawa; Reuben Hartley, laborer, Awatuna; John Arm strong, dairy farmer, Kakaramea; Rod eiick Elder, clerk, Patea; Cyril Wil liab Henry Langdon, slaughterman, Patea; John Andrew Malono, grocer's assistant, Paten; James P'aterson, saddler. Patea; John Morton Welsh, herdsman. ' Waverley; Kenneth Archibald Carniichael. dairy farmer, Kakaramea; William John McComisky, painter, l'atea; ! Albert Edward Willis, meat works cm- . ployee, Patea. ', GREYMOUTH APPEALS. i "GO SLOW" POLICY. Greymoiith, Yesterday. The Military Service Board to-day, when dealing with the appeals by the | management of coa! mines on behalf ol . coa! miners and truckers, intimated it would reconsider the position in view i of the evidence as to the :"go slow' policy being enforced by the -workers i, of_ coal mines in the Grey district. In ~ the appeals were

THE SECOND..DIVISION. j MINISTER'S STATEMENT. ! Dcuncdin, February 20. Regarding the establishment of a New Zealand Second Division League and the r.OHseiiuont demand for increased pay, pensions and allowance to married men ind their dependents, Sir James Allen eaid the Government would welcome all facts as to grievances and difficulties, and give them careful consideration. Respecting the demands, ot was, howeN'cr, necessary to" start with a standard which must be that of the working class. There could be no grading of pay apart from commissioned officers. It was a matter for the country to consider whether £mTe\isting allowances were sufficient. As regards the common inference that 100,000 men 'Would be the Dominion's limit, Sir James Allen said no Ministerial- encouragement, of such an idea had been given. So long as the country was behind the Government, and he felt certain it always would be, the Dominion's pledges to send monthly reinforcements of about 2300 would be maintained till victory was ours.

Referring to the question, of the prospective calling up of the Second Division, Sir James Allen mentioned to-day that the matter of combing out the First Division was receiving consideration, it was for this purpose that conditional exemption would only be granted in respect of appeals. In addition to the work of the Industrial Efficiency Board, all private employers end organisations were expected to make provision for the possible calling ii]) of essential employees. Regarding the exemption of the clergy Sir James Allen points out that final exemption has by no means been granted, and, further, that the Service Boarda are 'jiot bound to act on the certificates of Ministers. What has been done iias merely been as a matter of policy—the submission of a certificate to the boards suggesting that it mould not be in the public interest to call into camp any clergyman whose ecclesiastical authority has declared him to be essential in the Work of the church. The Minister has no power to grant exemption in any case, and no exemption has been so granted. That the boards have not always actor on the Ministerial certificate was proved in a recent case in Wellington, where the board refused conditional exemption to clerical appellants.