The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1917. DUTIES OF MILITARY BOARDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1917. DUTIES OF MILITARY BOARDS.

For some time past there has been considerable attention given to the question of the depletion of skilled farm workers and the policy of the Government in relation to production as it is'affected by military requirements. EVery reinforcVnent raised has contributed its share towards the depletion of farm labor, and now that the First Division men have been exhausted, and the Second Division will have to be preparing to go into camp, the position has naturally assumed a serious, aspect. There has been a large amount of hostile comment on the action of the Military Service Boards in dismissing appeals, notwithstanding the urgency of the question o 1 production, and lately there has been an agitation to prevent t'he last man on the farm being sent to camp. It is on this question of policy that Ministers have recently expressed a decided opinion, which is said to have been embodied in a memorandum to the Military Service Boards on the subject of the retention of at least one son on a farm where no suitable substitute can be found. The chairman of the First Canterbury Board (Mr. J. S. Evans, S.M.), takes a sensible view of the duties of the Board as well as those of the Government. He very properly considers that the mainspring of the work entruste'd to the Military Service Boards is the Government's policy both as regards military service and national industries. There are two grounds of appeal under the Act, one being that the calling up of a reservist is contrary to public interest, and the .other 'being that of undue hardship. Under the first head the Board has to consider the interest of the Country ipart altogether from any question of personal hardship to appellant himself, while on the second ground the Board has to consider only t'ho question of the hardship to the appellant himself or his dependents. These two issues are perfectly clear, and though they have become somewhat hackneyed by continual usage, they are the sole points which the Military Service Boards have to determine. Mr. Evans points out that his Board would strongly resent political interference in appeals made on the grounds of personal hardship, for it is only by a thorough sifting of tje evidence that the true facts in each case are elicited, and not always then, owing to distortion of facts or deliberate misstatements. In the case of nuhlie inter-

rat, however, the question of Government policy is of the utmost importance, ior it is the duty of the Government to lay down, generally, what the public interest id, especially as' differentiating between production and enlistment. These Boards have judicial functions to perform and should therefore be absolutely free from political interference or pressure in dealing with cases on their merits, but it is for the Government to proclaim what is and what is not the dominating factor in construing the claims of public interest, for the reason that the Government is carrying on the war work as well as being responsible for not jeopardising production by undue depletion of national industries. The whole trouble has arisen through I the failure of the Government to institute a. workable scheme of national organisation. It may be reasonably assumed that these Military Service Boards would be guided entirely by the Government's policy as regards the question of public interest, and it is a pity this policy was not definitely and precisely laid down when the Boards were appointed. Only those who have been present at the hearing of the appeals know and appreciate the difficulties the boards liave had to encounter. It is probable that in gome few cases they may have erred in Their decisions, but certainly not by intention. The Government placed upon the boards the duty of deciding whether or not appellants should serve in the army or on homo duties, and, as Mr. Evans very properly contends, the only way they could uischarge their duties was to be kept informed of the Government's policy with regard to essential industries.