APPEAL DISMISSED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 February 1943, Page 4

APPEAL DISMISSED

CASE OF C. C. SCRIMGEOUR REQUEST FOR ADJOURNMENT. MINISTER GIVES EVIDENCE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The appeal against military service on the grounds of public interest and hardship, made by Colin Graham Scrimgeour, Controller of the National Commercial Broadcasting Service, was dismissed yesterday by the Armed Forces Appeal Board, Wellington. In respect of hardship, Mr Scrimgeour only asked for an adjournment of service to settle personal affairs and make certain arrangements for a recently widowed sister with four children. The board directed in dismissing the hardship ground that he be not called up before May 15, 1943. Four witnesses were subpoenaed by Mr Scrimgeour, including the Minister of Broadcasting, Mr Wilson. Mr Scrimgeour conducted his own appeal. Mr Bell said the appeal was lodged by the Director of National Service to give Mr Scrimgeour opportunity to place his case before the board and so prevent any injustice or apparent injustice. Mr Scrimgeour was grade I, aged 40, and posted to camp last Thursday week. No appeal had been lodged for him by the service or the Minister. It would be appreciated that where an employer did not appeal for an employee on the ground of public interest, the employee’s appeal on the same ground could not carry the same weight. Mr Wilson said he was subpoenaed. He did not come of his own accord, and thought he should hear what Mr ; Scrimgeour had to say. Mr Scrimgeour put his own case, which was that in his opinion the work he did foi’ the State was of an essential nature. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. In a statement, Mr Wilson said he was also chairman of the War Publicity Committee, and issued certain directions to both Professor Shelley and Mr Scrimgeour, but he would be surprised to hear Professor Shelley claimed that because he carried out what he (Mr Wilson) directed, he was essential and could not be spared. On November 17 Mr Scrimgeour asked his attitude concerning his being called up, and he told him he would not appeal for anyone. He had lost two good secretaries to the forces, but now had another over military age, and the work had not suffered. , It was painful to hear Mr Scrimgeour suggest there was something behind the failure to appeal for him, but it was the policy of the Government and the Ministers not to appeal for their subordinates, the Minister continued. Mr Scrimgeour told him it would be ridiculous for a man of his capacity to be a private, and he replied that if the Army could use him in a higher rank it was none of his affair. He had advocated reorganisation and amalgamation of the broadcasting services for some time, and thought a Director-General should be appointed. He knew of a suitable man with years of radio and commercial radio experience, not necessarily in New Zealand; he had known this man for years, and had every possible confidence in him. He would say if Mr Scrimgeour went into the armed forces that it would not affect the public interest, the war effort, or broadcasting one iota, and he might get more willing and loyal service from his successor. He had no knowledge of a committee being set up to decide matters as between Mr Scrimgeour and himself, or of an offer by Mr Scrimgeour to operate both services at £750 a year, the difference between that and his present salary (£1500) to go to the war effort. He knew only of a committee which asked Mr Scrimgeour to apologise to him as Minister for a statement made over joining the watersiders’ union. The hardship evidence was that Mr Scrimgeour’s brother-in-law had been killed in an accident, and he wanted time to assist his sister as well as arrange his own affairs. If it was his duty to serve he did not want unduly to delay doing so. He was married himself, with three children, 16, 14 and 10 respectively.