CLAIMS TO EXEMPTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3010, 22 February 1917, Page 7

CLAIMS TO EXEMPTION

Sir, —As a constant reader of your, valuable paper, I would like you to grant me a little space ro the following subject. I read in your last Saturday's edition a statement of Mr. Blair's ro exemption in the ballot'of certain men incurring hardships in going to the front, but I am sorry to see that the oomparison in each case varied so much. Take the man, for instance, who has Been in the habit of spending his money on. beer. AVe all know that the wife or children in such a case' are going to be better off than they ever wore, for they will, got his wages regularly, and also more of. them, which they will be able to live and .thrive bettor on for the future. .Now, from here he jumps to the high and mighty, personage, known as the lawyer, and ho. maintains that the wife, to have to do without her servant would bo worse off than tho former. Absolute rubbish, I call it. Many lawyers' wives have not known what it was to have a sorvant until they were married, and some of them spend their timo flying round in their motors,' or going off golfing, so I think if they are capable of doing these things they are quite able to do a littlo cooking or mending for themselves and children for the' good of the nation. Apart from these facts, tho lawyer in my estimation is not engaged in an essential industry, and should bo one of the first taken out of the country. His loss "would only be felt by a few who are too lazy to transact their own business. In a couple of instances I have noticed the udges ask men seeking exemption if they dropped dead would the war cease,- or their dependants' starve. That is tho question which should he put to every one seeking to escape their duty. What we want now is - not excuses, but men. so I hope the hoard will harden' their hearts in such cases and get them. Thankinc you fur time and space taken, -I am, etc., FAIR PLAY.