SOLDIERS AT THE FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1918, Page 2

SOLDIERS AT THE FRONT.

FURLOUGH AFTER THREE YEARS' SERVICE. y STATEMENT BY GOVERNMENT. Reference was xnade at yesterday's sitting of the Military Service Board at New Plymouth, to the Government de-' cision to grant furlough to men on active service who had been at the front for three years or more. Mrs Ellen Wright Ducker, New Plymonth, made application for the return' to New Zealand of iter son, Alfred Ducker, who had been away three years,; and who is at present on active service, with the Expeditionary Forces in Egypt. Appellant stated she was 82 years of age, and her husband had died six months ago. She was left with, a house and a farm pf sixteen acres at iFrankley Road'. She., had three sons—, one married, children, and' living at Hamiljjpn,, living at Bay of Plenty,; hayifgi ten children, and who had returned, - ,.fjfpia the front, and another, with,- • foju;,. children, living at Warea. Tho son Alfred was the only single son. The soimt Warea was the nearest to appellant's,, home. Appellant stated that -, since her husband's death tho farm, had gone back a good deal. She had a,garnddaughter living with her, aged, seventeen. . Ar, present thero were only two head of stock pn tho farm. Six heifers had just been sold. There were two cottages belpngfing to appellant which returned 24s< per week in rent. She could not afford, tj> pay hired labor to work the farm. -Appellant also had a cottage property in the Bay of Plenty, which had only just been re-let after having been vacant lor some months; She said if her sou was not returned the farm would go to further ruin, and she was afraid she would havo to give up tho home that had been made on the property. Her son ,at Warea helped her with buying and selling but was not ablo to undertake any work. She had employed some casual labor for a week or a fortnight'' at- a time. At The request-of the chairman, Major Cox stated that the Government had recently made a statement to the effect that, as opportunity offered, soldiers at tlie front, who had been on active service for three years or more, were being given an opportunity to return to New Zealand on duty. He intimated to appellant that without any application by her, it was likely her son' might bo returned to New Zealand in the course of a month or two; The board intimated that it had no recommendation to make.