Military Training “Not Just For Unskilled”

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 25

Military Training “Not Just For Unskilled”

Military training had to be done; it could not be left just to the unskilled workers, said the chairman of the No. 14 Military Training Postponement Committee (Mr J. A. Bretherton) on Thursday, commenting on an application seeking an indefinite deferment of training for a skilled worker.

The committee was not empowered to grant indefinite postponements. “The best we can do is to give a short postponement to the applicant of, say, three to six months,” he said. John F. Curtis, a Christchurch optician, supporting an application by an employee, P. B. Gormley, said that Gormley had recently completed a six-year apprenticeship as an optical mechanic. “Believe me, 1 have tried to get a replacement in case he had to go iin the Army,” he said. To a question by the Crown representative (Mr T. R. Tooman) he said there were no slack periods of trade. Since the advent of television the demand for glasses had increased.

The committee granted six months! deferment.

If the applicant had to do three months’ military service completion of a priority job being carried out by the Christchurch Drainage Board could be delayed by two

months, said a representative of the board, appearing for D. D. Ward. The application for deferment was related solely to this job. Ward, now an assistant engineer, who previously had a year’s deferment to finish his degree course, was granted a further 12 months’ deferment.

Other applications granted were;—D. J. Blackwell (January, 1967), D. E. White (January, 1967), P. D. Pearce (12 months), A. G. Duffield (August 31), A. H. WardSmith (12 months), R. A. Allen (January, 1967). D. W. Mawhinney (three months), R. M. Cotter, M. J. Hall, R. J. S. Allan, G G Excell, P. F. Le Lievre, L. B. G. MacAvoy, K. F. O'Keefe, B. A. Reid, and P. L. Pascoe (sine die). Applications by B. R. Hall and G. L. Croft were dismissed. and an application by D. J. Barton was deferred to the next meeting.

Halswell P.T.A. Officers.— The following officers were elected to the Halswell Parent-teacher Association executive: patron, Mr R. Armstrong; president, Mrs S. Richards; vice-presidents, Mr E. Wilde. Dr. B. Stonehouse. Mrs D. Cook; secretary-trea-surer, Mrs Y. Mason: executive, Mesdatnes C. Marsh, E. Stevens, and D. Attwell. Messrs G. Rhodes and J. Peddie; auditor, Mr P. Polson.