MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15859, 26 March 1917, Page 4

MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS.

CANTERBURY NO. 2,

SITTING IN CHRISTCHURCH

7Mie Second Canterbury .Military Service Board sat in Christchurch on Saturday morning. The Board consisted of .Messrs H. W. Bishop. S.M., "R..H. Hunter "Weston, F. T. Eldridge, and Captain Ruck (secretary). < Captain Spratt- appeared as militai-y representative. OYER AGE. Alfred Anketell (Mr Johnston), farmer. care. G.P.0., Christchurch, produced a birth certificate to show that he was born in 1871. His appeal was allowed. ADJOURNED. Adjournments until April 2nd, to enable the appellants to he medically examined were granted in the cases of Basil Herbert .Jones, traveller, Duncan street, Spreydon, and Hugh lOdward Kennett, erecting engineer, 233 Cashel street, for whom Anderson's, Ltd.. asked for an extension of time. . When the appeal of Edmund Miles, ship's carpenter, on the grounds that he was now employed on a troopship, was called. Captain Ruck stated that he had received a letter from appellant's sister, stating that arrangements had been made to have the appeal beard in Wellington. The appeal was adjourned until April 2nd to allow further enquiries to be made. A COMPANY MANAGER. Harry Walsliaw (Mr (Jrosson) company manager of t>ho Trade Auxiliary Company of Now Zealand, asked for three months' extension in order to arrange the company's affairs throughout New Zealand. He was given until Slay Ist. CHATHAM ISLANDERS. Seton Henderson (Mr Ross) sheepfarmer, of Chatham Islands, said that his parents, aged 03 and 04 respectively, were entirely dependent 011 his labours. He worked his father's farm of 234 acres.and his own of 381 acres, which carried 100 sheep. Owing to the calling up of reservists there was no labour available on the Islands, but he was prepared to go to the front were a. competent man secured to take his place. He asked for an adjournment until the Efficiency Board had had an opportunity of dealing with the labour problem on tho Islands. The appeal was adjourned sine die for a report from the Efficiency Board. A similar course was adopted in the appeal of Edward Seymour, jun. (Mr Hunt),' shecpfarmer, Chatljam Islands. A SHEARER'S APPEAL. Stewart Maxwell Elliott, shearer, Moorhouse avenue, . appealed .on the grounds of the scarcity ol shearers in the wool industry. The Shearers' Union also appealed on his bohalf. ■ Appellant stated that' he< had 'been shearing for some seven seasons, and last season had shorn between 5000 and 6000 sheep. He was a bona fide member of the Shearers' Union. • At present lie was working on the butchers' board at the freezing works.: _ ' The secretary of the Union , stated that there were about- 2500 shearers in New Zeabmd, including Maoris. Thje ballots had resulted i n ! some 500 of th'p men being drawn,'and'so far there had not been more than 20 shearers exempted in New Zealand. There .was a! very difficult problem ahead in the, way of securing sufficient-shearers for next season; there certainly would not be half enough unless - some s new field to draw tipon were opened. Witness assured the Board that no reliance could he placed on Australian shearers next season, as he lcnew-they were not-'com-ing across to Now Zealand.' because there were not sufficient workmen'over there to supply Australia's own wants. The great majority of New Zealand's 'shearers were in the first division. Whether the Australian men came over next season or not, there must bo a shortage. ' 1 Tho appeal was adjourned sine die, on condition that appellant continued to be a shearer.. - DISMISSED. Bernard John.McKenna (Mr Cassidy) commercial traveller, 160 Bowhill road, New Brighton, who had -been placed iii the "treatment in camp" class, appealed on the grounds that he was the sole support of bis mother, aged 68, and an invalid sister. The appeal was dismissed, and appellant was allowed until May Ist. NO APPEARANCE.

There was no appearance of Joseph O'Connor, cabinetmaker, TJedcliffs, and Herbert Spencer Whvte. farmer, Ynldhurst, and their appeals were consequently dismissed. IN OTHER CLASSES. Tlie following appellants having been placed in the C 2 class, had their appeals dismissed, and were held for home service:—Hebden Charles Yates, poultryman, Ashbourne street, Woolstoii; Thomas William Newburgh Wilson, cycle manufacturer, 18 Baretta street, Spreydon: Charles Stanley Bellamy, motor and carriagesmith, Southey street, Sydenham; Harold Charles Green, accountant, 106 Hereford street. Having been classed D, or totallv unfit for service, the following had "their appeals dismissed : —Arthur Victor Stanley Watson, jeweller. Coronation Hospital. Cashmere; Harry Crawford Wallace. Coronation Hospital, Cashmere; Thomas Rogal, farmer, Marshland. A MARINE ENGINEER. John M...K.irk (Mr Papprill). first engineer on the 5.6.. Wootton, annealed on the grounds of his calling; and also on the ground that 110 substitute could be found .-for him. Evidence .as to the lack of men was given by the' secretary of the Kaiapoj Shipping" and Trading Company, W. A. Young. 0 Captain Fpratt explained, that several such cases ha<l been dealt with in Wellington with regard to the Union Company's employees, and the Board had decided that,' it would exempt no eligible men until it had been proved that the Company had exhausted all its resources in the way of securing substitutes. , Captain Spruit gave figures showing that there were several hundred qualified marine engineers in shore positions in New Zealand, while there were some 130 or 140 new marine engineers qualifying every year. In reply to Captain Spratt, Mr Young j detailed the many steps that had been j taken by his Company without success to find a substitute since the calling up of the appellant last December. The statement, however, showed that there was at least one suitable man available in the second division.

The chairman said that where there was ample evidence to show that a second division man was available, the Board could not see its way to exempt a first division man. The appeal wouJd be dismissed, and an extension until May Ist granted. WITHDBAWX. In tho case of Thomas Lyons, chief officer of the Orepuki, D. Reese, managing director of the Orepuki Shipping Company, said the appeal had been lodger: jpro forma, and he now wished it. withdrawn. The company was very hard pushed for mon, but it was prepared to sacrifice some personal gain, and let the man go. The Board congratulated the company on its attitude. The appeal of (J. L. Brown, on bell all of ilobert John lates, machinist,

Bamford street. Wooiston. was also withdrawn.

THRESHING PLANT HANDS

A. W Bennison, of Tinwald, asked for an extension of time to finish threshing, on behalf of three of his threshing plant employees. George McLoughlan. ttackman: William Grey, bag-sewer ; and David Thomas, feeder. Rennison stat*>d that the threshing would be completed in five or six weeks. He had taken various steps to secure iron, but had been unsuccessful.

Tho Board granted an extension until May 2nd in each ease.

Before the Military Service Board at Christchurch on Friday. William Fleming. storeman, 03 Wildberry street, Christchurch. was reported to have stated that hid father was critically ill. The appellant explains to us that there must hare been a misunderstanding as to what he said. a.- his father is not, and lias, not been, critically ill; in fact, he has never of late years been away from his business.