MILITARY SERVICE APPEALS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 27, 31 January 1917, Page 7

MILITARY SERVICE APPEALS

ESSENTIAL OCCCJPATIONS ,

Tho Third Wellington Military Servic^, ■ Board? comprising Messrs. W. H.: ■S4 Moorhouse (chairman), Andrew ConsW dine, and M. J. Mack, continued its'sitSj' . tings to-day. The military represenla-4" '■ tiveis Capt. Percy Baldwin. ', i THE NEED FOR POLICE. "f: .The Commissioner of Police (Mr. J.l' O'Donovan) appealed on behalf of flvel constables, on the ground that it: was*] against the public interests to take, thesi men into the army. He was instructed^ 1 by the Minister for Justice (Mr. A. L.^Herdman) and the Acting-Prime Minis-->j ter. From his knowledge of conditions]' as they were, he was satisfied that thesj men should not be taken. Mr. Considine: You cannot reduca-J i your staff? ■ ". I■' _ Mr. O'Donovan: No; many are re-«j ' i signing and enlisting, and we cannot pre-i vent that. It is exceedingly difficult for' us to secure recruits. : The Chairman: Are you. up to fuffl strength now? ■ . . • ' Mr. O'Donovan: No; we are consider*! : ably short. , •■■;

Mr. Mack: 'Axe you still taking 01* men? . . ' .-': . Mr. O'Donovan. •. Yes; but we willj:'. certainly not take on any sfngle men. /- Capt. Baldwin: The duties have-beetffi-increased owing to the operations of 'the]:; Military Service Act?— Yes, considerJ. ably. We are really a branch of thd army.

The local knowledge of the constables^ is useful in tracing men?— Yes. : All the cases were adjourned sine die« the men to receive exemption from miliJ., tary service in the meantime, on condH tion that they report regularly to thai Commandant of the respective groups.^ The men affected are: -yßobert Henry>;' John jNJelville, James Adam Tocker, Ed-y' ward Whiteacre, and John Moore Elem>i" ing, all of Wellington. AN APPEAL DISMISSED. "■■■!■■■ Mr. J. J. M'Grath appeared for.HugbL Wilson Hutcheson, mechanic and marineengineer, 13, Ngaio-road, Kelburn. One" ground was that the calling up of ap-.j., pellant would be contrary to public in-.! terests, in _ that he held a first-clasai marine certificate, and that if his services; were required 'he would be of more usb| at sea than in,the trenches. Appellant] had since the war dissolved partnership!} with a man of German nationality.. wliorj was still carrying on business in tliie cifiyw Hutcheson had been unable to secure all manager, and had been equally unable to] sell the business. Appellant married iife September, 1915, and had one child. ..';

.Hutcheson, sworn, stated that Mr.j M'Grath's statement of th§ case was eo'r-;i Tect. He had three apprentices and : twq', journeymen, and anticipated some dif-7 ficujty in transferring the indentures os, the former. ' The Chairman: You apply for total' exemption?. . : . .:: Mr. M'Gratn: Yes, sir. ' -'■ ■■■■■'■ Would not an extension of time satisfyj you? ''. ■■ . .-. ■.. „ .. ■;., \. i Mr. M'Grath reminded the board ihzti. appellant was a qualified . marine en-;, gineer, "capable of taking charge- of ■•■an Lusitania," and that' he might rbe/oft more value 'at sea than oa-Jand." •■■ .'■■..■■■

The appeal was dismissed-on. Captain^ Baldwin undertaking to obtain, for appellant two months' leave- of absence vn} ; order to wind up his business. ■ ■,;-." ON A HOSPITAL SHIP, The appeal of William Martin, chieJl officer on the hospital ship Maheno wa* adjourned sine die ; on condition that api. psllant remained in his present occu'pa,? tion. ' " ' • ■-■ : . ■ ■■:';