BALLOT APPEALS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 16, 30 October 1940, Page 6

BALLOT APPEALS

MAN-POWER COMMITTEE. THE ASHBURTON SITTING. VARIETY OF REASONS GIVEN. To hear appeals by Ashburton men drawn in the first ballot against territorial service, the South Canterbury Man-power Committee commenced its Ashburton sitting at the Courthouse to-day.

The committee consists of Messrs C. J. Talbot (chairman), A. J. Davey and H. Badham, and Mr R. Gillies (secretary). Captain F. L. Rees represents the'Defence Department. . During the hearing the chairman remarked that when appellants did not appear when called they were unfair to themselves as well ns to the committee. Hardship Alleged. In the case of Roy Henry Aston, 25 Cavendish Road, Allenton, labourer, unemployed, who did not appear, the appeal was made by him and liis mother on the grounds of undue hardship. In the original appeal it was stated that the father was in the Ashburton Hospital and a brother was in camp. The mother wrote that she was a pensioner and had her aged mother to care for. The chairman said the appellant would' receive the Army pay of £2 9s a week. If the mother was dependen! on him she could get the allotment oi a guinea. Captain Rees said that the mother would actually be better off financially if her son was in the Army. He should have appeared personally before the board and given fuller particulars. The appeal was dismissed, the chairman remarking that there were many cases of greater hardship, at least on the surface and there were not sufficient particulars before the committee. Temporary Exemption. Alfred Phillip Arnst, dairy farmer and labourer, appealed 011 the. grounds of public interest and bis employer, G. H. Sewell, of Tinwald, dairy farmer, also appealed for. Arnst’s exemption on the grounds of hardship and public interest. In a statement Mr Sewell said he milked 22 cows daily. Arnst was a hard worker and thoroughly experienced. If he were called up it would cause hardship. Mr V. W. Russell, who appeared foi the appellant and co-appellant, said Mr Sewell might be completely stranded if Arnst went into the Army. Some partial exemption might be granted. lii reply to Captain Rees, Mr Sewell said ■it took six years for a man to learn to milk efficiently'. The chairman: Some men can adapt themselves in a week or two. J. am a farmer and 1 know. u The appeal on grounds of hardship was dismissed and that on grounds of public interest Avas dismissed until February 3, 1941, all military obligations to be waived until that date. Work for Farmers. R. A. Burnett, of Burnett’s Motors, lodged an appeal on behalf of his employee, George Robert Bellaney, shearer and truck-driver, of Tancred Street, for exemption for six months on ground of public interest. Mr Burnett submitted his cartage figures, saying his business Avas totally Avith the farmers. Bellaney, an expert shearer, Avas permitted to go shearing for part of the year. The appeal was dismissed conditionally on the man not being called up before March 15, 1941.

Ail appeal by Mr Burnett for temporary exemption for another employee, Thomas Godfrey Lister, who was classed as temporarily unfit, was adjourned sine die. Decision Reserved. Frederick John Bonnington, Wakanui, farmer, ask'ed for exemption on grounds of public interest and undue hardship, in that he worked on a farm of 300 acres owned by his father, who was an invalid, and he had two sisters dependent on him. He had no desire whatever to shirk his duty to his King and Country, added appellant, but it devolved on him to do almost all the work about the farm, being the only son. He knew of no ohe who could take liis place. Decision was reserved, pending the production of further evidence. Farmer’s Plea. An appeal was lodged by Henry M. Copland, farmer, of Dromore, on behalf of his employee, Thomas "William Blackburn, on the grounds of public interest and undue hardship. Mr R. Kennedy, who appeared for the appellant, said that Blackburn had been on the farm for nine years. All Copland’s farm was of 1480 acres, and carried 2000 sheep, and lie' did cropping. Moreover, he supervised two other farms.

In evidence, Copland said he was only asking for temporary exemption for Blackburn. Another permanent hand had volunteered for overseas service.

In answer to Air Kennedy, Copland said Blackburn was a general farm hand and able to do anything at all. He would be hard to replace.

The appeal was dismissed on both grounds, conditional on tho man not

being called up before February 3, 1941.

Appeal Withdrawn.

An appeal by James R. Doig, farmer, of Cliertsey, on behalf of Douglas Doig, was withdrawn.

Shortage of Labour.

On behalf of Ronald Edgar Long, C. F. Long, farmer, of Pendarves, made an appeal on grounds of public interest and undue hardship. It was stated that Ronald Edgar Long was the only employee, and acted

as manager. The farm was of 1335 acres, carrying 1350 sheep. Heavy tractor work was under way, and shearing and harvesting were coming on. Were Ronald Long to be called up now it would upset the working of the whole farm’. The. two men were brothers. There was also a large amount of cropping on the farm. The chairman said the man would have to go into camp sooner or later, but the committee wished to meet the employer in the matter of fixing the date.

Captain Rees: To what do you attribute the shortage of labour?

The appellant: Young fellows don't seem to come to my place. They want to go out every night, and it’s toQ jolly quiet lor them. 1 am out by the Rakaia mouth.

The case was dismissed conditionally on the man not being called up before April 1. Filling Gaps. Peter Roy Doig, farmer, of Oiertsey, and representing the estate of the late John l)oig, appealed on behalf of Owen Valentine Dunstan, who had been employed by him for 10 years. His farm, said Doig, was of 1100 acres, in two blocks about three miles apart. Dunstan was the only permanent hand now employed and there was also an adjoining farm of 260 acres to be looked after. It was difficult to obtain a second permanent man. Dunstan could be spared for camp in June, July and August. In reply to a question by the chairman, the appellant said it was very hard to get young men to go on to a farm to take another man’s place. The chairman said that farmers should take all possible steps to have someone to fdl a gap caused by a man going into camp. The case was dismissed conditionally on Dunstan not being called up before April 1. Hard to Get Help. C. T. A. ‘Ward, farmer, of Chertsey, asked for exemption for lan Dobson Forsyth, his employee. Mr E. E ; . England, who appeared for the appellant, said that the grounds of the appeal were public interest and hardship. The farm land was of 2000 acres at Ohertsey and there was a married man on, a farm at Newlands. There was one permanent man at the homestead. Mr -Ward himself was crippled and could not afford to lose a man before June. On the farm Avere 1600 ewes with about 1600 lambs at foot; 500 acres Avene in Avheat and 150 acres in oats. He harvested 500 acres of Avheat for neighbours. Forsyth was a vital man on the farm. It seemed almost impossible for the Placement Office to get a man to fill the gap. Ward said that he could not groAV wheat unless He had help on the farm. Mr England contended that Ward should be assisted as much as lay in the committee’s power. It Avas not a case of any lack of loyalty but of production necessity. Forsyth was released from military duties until April 1. (Proceeding).