APPEALS FROM THE BALLOT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2988, 27 January 1917, Page 10

APPEALS FROM THE BALLOT

PICTURE SUPPLIES DIRECTOR

APPEAL DISMISSED

"THE ISRAELITE HOUSE

OF DAVID"

The Tliird Wellington Military Service Board held its first sitting for tho hearing of appeals yesterday. Tho Board consists of Mr. W. H. S. Moorhouse, of Wellington (Chairman), Mr. A. O'L. Considine, of Martinbqrough, and Mr. M. J. Mack, of Wellington. Captain Baldwin, of Palmerston North, appeared as military representative.

One of tho most interesting cases was that of Edward Joseph Righton, of 18 Oriental Terrace, Wellington. Appellant is a director of the New Zealand Picturo' Supplies Company, and he appealed on the grounds of public interest and undue hardship. Mr. M. Myers, who appeared for Righton, said that appellant did not wish to evade service. Ho considered that his domestic affairs certainly warranted his being placed in the second division. The Legislature by its exemptions intended that ono placed similar to Righton should be in the first division. The limit age for the ballot was 46. The limit for children's age was 16 and the marriage limit was fixed at May, 1915. The appellant was practically 45, his youngest child was 16.J and his second marriage took place in December, 1915. He certainly, considered that this legislation intended that tho Military Service Board, taking all these circumstances into consideration would be justified in declaring Righton as a fit subject for the second division. Practically all his life he had been engaged in organising work. He was managing director of two companies, and director of a number of other companies, and he had control of assets amounting to considerably over £250,000. In times of stress a certain amount of inexpensive. amusement was necessary to. eliminate depression. The number of theatres in whjch the .Picture Supplies Company was , interested was forty-two, and their business operated in 116 NewZealand towns. The business relations and ramificStions of a company of this kind were very large, and Righton's position could not be filled. The only person' who could do part of the work of Righton was Mr. Hayward, who was not robust. Righton was prepared to givo his services to tho military in an organising capacity, and Mr. Myers suggested that he should not be sent into camp till the First Division, was nearing exhaustion. The Chairman: What would happen if you died? Would tho whole of these things have to bo wound up? Righton said that they would not be. Mr. Mack: Have you an understudy? Righton: AVo have a secretary and departmental managers. _ Mr. Mack: What would be tho position if anything happened to you ? ■Righton: Mr. Hayward would have to take charge. Man the supreme Need. Capt. Baldwin: The whole of this business is for profit? Righton: Oh, yes. Capt. Baldwin: The. business supplies no other utility than that of public amusement? Righton: No. He conscientiously believed that amusement was needed in these times. _ Capt. Baldwin: Before the formation of the Picture Supply Company pictures were got from somewhere? Righton: Yes. Capt. Baldwin: Then the Picture Supply Company is not indispensable to the supply, of pictures? Righton: No. Capt. Baldwin: Are you New Zea-land-born ? Righton: Yes. Capt. Baldwin: You appreciate that the one paramount thing is a supply of men to meet our obligations? Righton: Yes. Capt. Baldwin: Those men have to be found. Righton: I agree -with you there. Capt. Baldwin: And every man exempted has to be replaced by another man lower down in the ballot. Do you think that commercial interest of this kind should' be a. reason for working a thing which on the face of it would be an injustice? Righton: I believe that someone has to stay at home and supply tho sinews of war. Capt. Baldwin: You don't supply sinews of war. Righton: I mean the money. Capt. Baldwin: Then I take it that every man engaged in a profiablo commercial ■undertaking should bo exempted. To Mr. Myers: His companies had incurred heavy obligations which extended over long periods. Mr. Considine: Do you suggest that if Righton went away all these concerns would break up and all the people would lose their money? Mr. Myers: No, but it would be a serious matter for them. The appeal was , disallowed, the military representative undertaking to obtain RigTiton two months' leave of absences. "I Am Not Going into Camp." Frederick William Anderson appealed on the ground that he was a member of, the Israelite House of David and was in the service of God. He did not swear on the Bible, but made an affirmation. . He was asked what lie wished to say. Ho answered: I keep the First Commandment: "Thou shalt not have any other,gods before Mβ." It is also said: "Hβ that taketh the sword shall fall by the sword." Following tiie Nazareno law we neither mar the corners of our hair nor our beard. 1 wish to say that I am waiting to go to America to the ingathering of Israelites. I have given up my connections with the world and have severed, all that I feel is against my own convictions.

Capt. Baldwin: How long have you been a member?

Anderson: We don't call ourselves members.

The Chairman: How long is it since you got these convictions?

Anderson: I have been following them for the last three months. Previous to that I held these ideas, and now I am going to follow them out. Previous to that I belonged to a religious organisation, the Christian Scientists. I may say I am a Christian Scientist healer. Capt. Baldwin: How lonp; were, you a member of the Christian Scientists? Anderson: Ten years. The Chairman: How long have you been a healer? Anderson: Three years. The Chairman: Would it be consistent with your views to do non-combat-ant service? Anderson: No. The Chairman: The appeal is dismissed. Anderson: What, does that mean? Tho Chairman: That we are not going to help you to avoid military service—that you have- to go to the war. Anderson : What is my next step. Capt. Baldwin: He will be notified when he is to go to camp, and if he does not comply be will bo a deserter. Anderson: Well, I statn hero I am not going into camp. No man is

going to mar my hair and my beard. 1 don't know that I will take any further heed of your notices. A Religious Objector. Ernest Louis Graj-, carpenter, 12 Hawkestouo Orescent, a religious objector, did not appear, and his appeal waß dismissed. Fredk. Percy Goldsmith, a barman at the Brunswick Hotel, Wellington, failed to appear, and the appeal was dismissed. An appeal was lodged in behalf of Robert James Douglas Jackson Fowler. It was stated that he had been married in 1897, and had a son aged 19 years at the front and a daughter nine years of age. His first wife was dead, and be had married again in 1915. It was claimed that as his youngest child was under 16 lie was in the second division. The appeal was allowed.

Archibald Walker appeared to appeal on behalf of his son Archibald. Walker, senior, said he was a member of tho Transport Board under tho New Zealand Defence Force. By taking over appellant's business tho son had enabled him to do the Transport Board work. The young man was a marine engineer. The was held over till Wednesday, when other marine eases are to be dealt with.

Mrs. Florence Ormrod, taxi-cab owner, Island Bay, asked for the exemption of Frederick C. Smith, who managed the business, from which she derived her living. Smith had gone into camp and her car was now held up. In reply to a question, appellant said sho had not tried to dispose of her business. The appeal was dismissed on the military representative undertaking to obtain for Smith a monthls leave of absence. Returned Soldiers, Murdoch' Wm. Ross, medical practitioner, 50 Nelson Street, Petone, forwarded a birth certificate to show that he was over 56 years of age; he was 57. The appeal was allowed. Herbert Francis Helmling. rubber merchant, -121 Lambton Quay, Wellington, pleaded that he was not in the first division as he had served 202 days with the Expeditionary Force and had been discharged as medically unfit. Tho appeal was allowed. _ In the case of Richard George Withington, 117 Richmond Street, Petone, who had 1 served 115 days with the Samoa Expedition, and Lad been discharged as medically unfit for activo service, the a.ppeal was allowed. . Thomas Charles Wood, engineer and motor mechanic, said ho objected to take human life. He would work as an engineer, but would not go into the trenches as a soldier. His appeal was dismissed. P. H. O'Donnell, optician, 44 Manners Street, Wellington, and George. Bert. Vince, mattress maker, 32 Abel Smith Street, for whom appeals had been lodged, did not appear, and .the appeals were dismissed. Other Cases. William Brow, carrier, 94 Daniel Street, Newtown, appealed on the ground that he was not in the First Division, as he was a married man with several young children. The appeal was adjourned for tho production of certain evidence. John Henry Ncdd, a negro, who said he was a waterside worker, appealed on the ground of colour. His case was adjourned sino die, and he was told ho would not be required to serve just now. George Allan Clark, a bank officer, proved that ho was over military age, and hisappeal was allowed. Decision in tho case of Henry Arthur O'Neill p'Donohoo, bank 'clerk, which was claimed to be ono of undue hardship wns reserved till Monday. Alemcda Roliillia M'Lcod. electrician, 52 Kilbirnio Crescent, Kilbirnie, appealed on tho ground of undue hardship.. Appellant said ho. had to support his mother. Decision was reserved. The Board will sit again on Monday. , AUCKLAND APPEALS RAILWAYMEN AND CLERGY. By Telegraph—Press .Association. Auckland, January 26. Tho .Military Service Board held its first sitting in tho city to-day, when 37 appeals were taken. Of theso sixteen were lodged by the Railway Department on behalf of railway servants, and the majority of the remainder were individual applications from men undor Clauso 35. • Bishop Averill asked for' exemption on behalf of three clergymen—Chap-lain-Captains Clivo Mortimer Jones, George Trevor Robson, and Clarence Bouchier Wilmot. Tho Bishop said that the clergymen whose nainoi had been drawn in tho ballot all held commissions as captain-chaplains, and all had volunteered for tho front. ChaplainCaptain Robson had been expecting to be called up for tho past fifteen months. He, as Bishop, was quite prepared to _ send any number of clergy as chaplains if they had to go. Under conscription, however, the diocese would be so devastated of clergy that it was very probable that they would not have .tho proper men to send. The Bishop went on to say that every philosophic student had already gone, and no men now remained to be drawn upon as clergy.

Major Conlan wished to mako it clear that if theso clergymen wefe called up they would retain their commissions as chaplain-captains, which in any case could not be taken from them.' They would bo put on a waiting list until a suitable opportunity for making use of their services arose. The same principle applied to the medical profession. '

The boarded decided that as the three men had already volunteered the appeal would be allowed.

As regards the railwaymen, fourteen appeals were allowed, and two were withdrawn, one on account of the fact that the man had left the service of the Department, and the other on the ground that the man had already been granted exemption^ Eight of the individual appeals were withdrawn, the appellants 'in most cases having been passed as fit for home service only.