MARINE ENGINEERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 69, 21 March 1916, Page 8

MARINE ENGINEERS.

. -FOREIGNERS REPLACING • VOLUNTEERS. ~v QUESTION OF EXEMPTION. (By Telegraph.—Fress Association.) - WELLINGTON, Monday. Up to date some 50 members of the Institute of Marine Engineers .of New Zealand have gone to the front, have enlisted or are serviing with the Imperial Navy, while a similar number of members of the Merchant Service Guild of New Zealand have thrown up their maritime calling to join the colours. Being apprehensive of the effect of the heavy enlistments upon the efficiency of the service, Mr. T. R. Wallace, secretary of the Institute of Marine Engineers, and Captain F. A. Maclndoe, secretary of the guild, made representations on the subject to the Hon. A. M. Myers. Mr. Wallace has received a reply that the proposal that the services should be declared exempted industries had been before the Recruiting Board. The Minister states that it is not the' intention of the Recruiting Board to exempt classes of industry as a whole, it having been decided that each individual case should be considered separately, and in every case where exemption is asked for the person on whose behalf the application is made must first offer for service. When it is desired that the services of a marine engineer who has enlisted should be retained in the company by which he was employed application should be made by the compauy for exemption. " • Captain Maclndoe, who received a reply in similar terms, told a reporter to-day that at Home the authorities had recalled those marine officers on service. The point was whether we were goi'ii" to make the same mistake that had been made there, or profit by the experience of the Old Country. The position was that there were many foreigners Xorwcgians and Swedes more especiallyWho were filling the positions of deepwater officers of British Nationality"' and the same thing was happening in New Zealand. Such a position was not desired.