BALLOT APPEALS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 36, 22 November 1940, Page 6

BALLOT APPEALS

HEARINGS IN ASHBURTON. CASE OF A HEAD SHEPHERD DISMISSED WITH TIME CONDITION. The South Canterbury Man-power Committee sat in Ashburton to-day to hear further appeals by men drawn in the first Territorial service ballot. This was the second sitting of the committee in Ashburton. The previous one, at the end of October, occupied two days. The committee consists of Messrs C. J. Talbot (chairman), A. J. Davey and H. Bodham, with Mr R. Gillies as secretary. The Defence Department was represented by Lieut. A. J. D. Morten. An appeal by Barnett Clive Hood, of Mount Somers, head shepherd, was made on the ground of hardship and public interest, and this appeal was supported by John Morgan, sheepfarmer, who stated that the Mount Somers Estate was of 20,050 acres, 15,000 of which were, mountain • country : It was practically- impossible to replace Hood with a man of his qualifications. Witness wanted the (vital work done on the station before Hood went into camp.

The appeal was dismissed. Hood not to be called into camp before February 1. Mr Morgan said: “We realise we must do what we can in these times; we are no fifth columnists.” Skin-Painter’s Case. An appeal on the ground of public interest and hardship was made by the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company (Mr R. Kennedy) on behalf of Robert Douglas Crawford, of Timvald, skin-painter. It was stated that exemption was wanted till June 30, as the Company felt it was essential that trained men should be retained as they were essential to the work of the freezing indus-. try. An untrained man would mean that the work would he. held up considerably.

Evidence was given by G. M. Breeze (manager of the Fairton works) who said the company would like the men to go into camp in the slack season, after June.

The chairman said that as far as was known there would be no winter camp.

The appeal on public interest was adjourned till March 15, and the appeal on hardship was dismissed.

Case of a Teamster,

Richard Rowe, farmer, of Te Pirita (Mr C. G. deC. Drury) appealed on behalf of his son and employee, William Thomas Richard Rowe, aged 20, teamster and tractor driver, on the ground of publish interest and hardship.

It was stated that the father owned two farms (773 acres at Bankside and 945 acres at, Hororata), and 1300 sheep were, carried at present while there was some cropping. The son was the only one employed on the farm and did practically all the work, the father having an affection of the eyes which prevented him doing more than a certain amount of work. The son had no desire to evade his military responsibilities, but wished his period of camp training to be postponed. Appellant asked for adjournment till May 1.

The appeal Avas dismissed, a condition being that the. man is not called up before April 15.

Sheepfarmer and Chaffcutter.

Percy McDowell, of Anama, sheepfarmer and chaffcutter proprietor, appealed on the grounds of hardship and public interest. He stated that he had 286 acres and ran 560 to 600 ewes and 100 hoggets, and had 32 acres in cereals and 15 acres in cocksfoot. It would be a great hardship for him to leave the sheep, and lie could not state a time when he could leave the place for camp training. His chaffcutter served a very wide area and it would be almost impossible for him to give it up for the camp period. Two of his permanent men were serving overseas and two of his present employees would go into training soon.

The appeals were adjourned till March 15.

Dairy Farmhand.

Charles Gerald Mcßae, of Springburn, dairy farm assistant, appealed on the ground of public interest and hardship, and similar appeals were made by his mother. Both were represented by Mr L.. A. Charles. It was stated that the mother was widowed two years ago and as she could not handle the farm on her own, her only son had given up a good position to go home and work the place, on which there were 17 cows being handmilked. Mcßae was in the same position as he would be if he owned the farm. The mother could not do the milking herself and she could not engage labour in the absence of her son. The appeals were adjourned sine die. Appeal for Headmaster. The Canterbury Education Board entered an appeal on behalf of Robert M. Iv. Clague, headmaster of the Tinwald School, on the ground of public interest. The, appeal stated that a period of three months’ release was required because of the shortage of teachers and the difficulty of staffing schools. As no one appeared in support of the appeal it was dismissed, a condition being that Clague is not. called up before January 1. Tractor Driver's Case.

David James Hugh Muckle, of Dorie, tractor-driver, appealed on the grounds of public interest and hardship, and similar appeals were made by James Muckle, his employer, and his uncle. / It was stated that the farm consisted of 1020 <acres, of which 190 acres wore in wheat, 56 in oats, and 25 in turnips, while 200 acres of green feed had to be sown later. From 1300 to 1500 lambs were fattened each year. Four men

were employed, and the appeal was made on the ground that Muckle was 'the mainstay of the farm, being the chief worker on the place. One of the employees was the iballotted man’s father and another was a boy of 17 just out of school. The appeals were dismissed, a condition being .that Muckle is not called up before. April 1. Another Tractor Driver. William Eric Chambers, of Mount Hutt, tractor driver, appeared on the ground of public interest, and his employer, Alexander F. Marr, farmer, also appealed on the ground of public interest and hardship. Mr J. W. M. Dart appeared for both appellants. It was stated that the farm was 1300 feet above sea level, and heavy Romney sheep were run on the place, these comprising (on 1089 acres) 2200 flock sheep and 400 stud sheep. Some cropping was done, with the growing of cocksfoot and ryegrass. Chambers was essential to the farm work, and the employer could not do any of the work himself. There were four men of military age on the farm. Marr gave an assurance that lie would not enter appeals for any of these other than his own son and Chambers.