THE SECOND DIVISION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 137, 9 June 1917, Page 4

THE SECOND DIVISION.

Xo doubt the Efficiency Board will be glad to have the advice of a committee of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on the method of calling up the Second Division, but the tone of the discussion at yesterday's meeting was a little unfortunate. It was said that if some action was not taken "the Second Division would be called up in the same haphazard way as that adopted in the calling up of the First Division," and that some means should be devised "whereby the men least essential to the carrying on of the Dominion's industries should be taken first," and it was suggested by one speaker that firms should draw up lists of employees in the order of their importance. It is misleading to say that men have been called up in haphazard fashion. The ballot is certainly haphazard ! n that everybody, whether or not he- is do'ng essential work, has an equal chance of being drawn, hot the man or his employer has the right to appeal for exemption to Boards specially created for the purpose. The framers of the Act might 'ha-'C exempted whole classes of workers, such as coalminers, but they were wise not to do so. It is better that the obligation under the Act should be quite universal, the onus being placed on the individual or his employer to show that he is indispensable. Moreover, the Efficiency Board has been created to help the Government to keep essential industries going, and according to a statement made by Mr Gunson to-day a complete list of industries has been drawn up by the Board for the guidance of the Government. It is hard to see what more the Government can do. The classification by firms of employees according to importance would have to be subject to the approval of the Appeal Boards. The Government could not allow firms to be the sole judges of their necessities; it sometimes happens now that an employer unsuccessfully tries to convince an Appeal Board that a balloted man cannot be spared. ''The most essential men certainly should be called upon last," was an opinion expressed yesterday. "Essential" to what? If "essential" means essential to the country, no one will quarrel with this statement Ln general, but if it means essential to the firm, that is another matter. The firm has then to show that it is essential, and that Is a point on which there may be difference of opinion between private and public interests. The truth is that the calling up of the Second Division must hit the business world pretty severely, and the business world should bow to the inevitable. What corresponds to our Second Division was called up in Britain long ago. The one essential thing under a system of conscription is that it 6hall be administered with strict impartiality, and that every man who claims exemption shall be required to establish his right before a properly constituted court. Anything short of this would not be tolerated either by those who have already been called upon to serve their country or by those who are still liable to be so called-