THE LAST MAN ON THE FARM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 22, 20 October 1917, Page 10

THE LAST MAN ON THE FARM

GOVERNMENT AND THE MILITARY SERVICE BOARD

RECRUITING MEMORANDUM 0 CRITICISED 3 , 8 ' ® By Telegraph.—Press Association. s New Plymouth, October 19. r At to-day'eX sitting of the First WelJ lington Military Service Board the ckair- ' man (Jlr. D. G. A. Cooper, i?.&l.) made 3 the following, statement:—"Wi'h refer- > enco to the National Recruiting Board's ■ memorandum relating to the appeals of ' men engaged in farming, it has been 1 wrongly inferred by a number of critics 1 that tins board has taken exception. to the Government's declaration of a national policy with respect thereto. This is an entire misconception. My board takes no exception to the Government declaring a national policy, as (hit would be absurd. There is a wide ciffereiue, however, between (ho Government defining a national policy and its directing the Military Service Boards js to what determinations the boards shall give in any particular class of cases without consideration of the evidence, presented in such cases. For the Military Service Boards to give - determinations without regard to evidence would be for the boards to take the position/of mere recording machines. It is within the knowledge of my board that farms have been divided up, evidently with (he object of saving members of a family from being taken for military service; that in other cases sons are on farms, but their production is trifling; and that in some instance's the application of the goneral rule set out in the memorandum referred to would result in sheltering family shirkers of the worst kind. My board cannot see how any general rule can justly be applied which ignores the special circumstances of individual cases. . Captain Walker, the military representative, pointed out that the memorandum with regard to the exemption of farmers -was more far-reaching than a cursory reading would indicate. The exemptions recommended were under three categories, namely— . (1) Thoowner-farmer doing all the work on Hie farm. (2) The last son on his infirm parent's farm. "(3) Skilled agricultural labourer. The memorandum ; distinctly indicates that in the third category (skilled agricultural labourers), exemption should be granted unless efficient labour is available to replace them; but as to the first and second categories (farmer-owners and last sons), exemption should be granted even although efficient substitutes are , available. The Government had rery forcibly laid down its policy, and it was ; lis duty as counsel for the Crown to follow out that policy in futuro appeals, i At present he was not in a position to ' say whether the Government wished the 1 memorandum to be read strictly literally. Tf so. it would be left open for a parent for the.sole purpose of saving his son from'military .service to send away just before the appeal was heard another son not liable for military service, but hith- ' erto the principal worker rn tis farm. In other ways it would allow , farmers 'to deliberately evade military service bv bringing themselves within the first and second categories. The memorandum showed that the Government viewed the shortage of farm labour and producers ' as very eerious, especially when it was ! stated that the work was , now ns im- J portant and as essential as military ser- , vice. J

Mr. M'Laren said he had been surprised at the number-of cases where young men liable for service had been kept at home; and since the outbreak of war for no other reason that the board could fathom except to evade service. "Had the present proposals been made absolute rules, applying from the' beginning rf the Act, the board would have had a kt more of it to face," he added. The board had always felt it necessary to exercise its'fullest judgment and examine the evidence very carefully. ■