MILITARY SERVICE APPEALS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 28, 1 February 1917, Page 7

MILITARY SERVICE APPEALS

MISCELLANEOUS: CASES

The Third Wellington Military Service;; Board, comprising Messrs. ,W. H. S. Moorhouse, A. Considine, and M." J. > Mack, continued its sittings in Welling^ ton to-day.,, The military, representative** is-Captain Percy Baldwin. LEAVE APPLIED FOR, John Albert Govan M'Gregor, com- < mercial traveller. 115, Waipapa-road, Ha~ ! taitai, appealed for exemption until thei beginning of March in order to enablehim to attend the annual camp of thai D Battery next month. He stated, fur-, ther, that he was the Bole support ofi'; his widowed mother. He was perfectly-.'' willing to enter camp as soon as he.felM his mother was properly' provided for.,He held a commission as acting-lieutenanti* intthe D Battery. The case was adjourned until Moa-J day, 19th February. A CHEMIST'S APPEAL., Mr. J W. Macdonald, solicitor for the >, Public Trustee, appealed on behalf of ;. Charles Adams, chemise, who was managing a chemist's shop connected with an!estate which was being administered by the Public . Trustee. Two months' exemption was asked for in order to»>' wind up the business. If appellant wastaken now the business would have to be closed down, which would not be in. the interests of the beneficiaries. The board allowed one month's leave?. of absence. , "LE!-> MISEEABLES." Mr. M. Myers appeared for George! Adamson. Counsel, who handed to the board a lengthy written statement, said: ' the case was one of the most distressing that had ever come before him. Appellant was anxious to go into camp, but Mr. Myers said he was perfectly justified in remaining here. The Chairman : I am quite satisfied, that, if his statements were true, appel--lant would have been a brute to enlist.It, is clearly a case of " Les, Miserables."; Counsel said it had worried the apneJlant more than anything that he could not do Ins duty to the country. Appellant, called, said the statement was his own composition, and truly.outlined the position as regards himself and the other members of his family Captain Baldwin said it would not have been right for appellant to volun- ' teer. Now he had been drawn m the ballot the question was whether the hardship was sucli that he should remain-, behind. The new regulations providing'^ greater assistance .to soldiers should ba*j taken into account. Mr. Myers: It is not merely a matteiH of finance. . ; The Chairman: That is so. The board decided to adjourn the -; case for three months, when the position I wouffi be reviewed again. "I think it 4 is about the most pitiful story I hay read for years," said the chairman. Ap-.l pellant was granted temporary exempt, tion from service in the meantime. STOREKEEPER'S REQUEST. John Meston, storekeeper, Aro-street, ,i, represented by Mr A. W. Blair, appliedvj for time in which to dispose of his husi-j ness. Appellant had been endeavouring,.;' to sell the business for some month's^ past, but so far had failed. He was in-rl partnership with his brother, who -was'J unable to do any outside work owing lo,iq his physical condition. Appellant appre-;a ciated that it was his duty to go, and,;-,-; more than that, he wanted to go. Appellant stated that "he was 23 years'S of age. After a hard struggle the busi-1 ness was now being worked up to a-ij satisfactory position. He had tried to<:| sell his business—it was now in agents'vj hands—and if he was sent into camp im-*' mediately he would have to close down.-^ the business. He wanted three months'"-',, leave. Captain Baldwin: How can you ex*s pect to sell the business in three months;-; when you have not been ablo to dispose-] of it in twelve months?— Your neveßij know when a buyer will come along. The board allowed one month's leave(<^ of absence, the chairman remarking thatsij appellant would be able to give the busii-'j ness some attention from the camp. ! ' SHORT LEAVE FOR A WATCH- ' MAKER. , ■ ' ; Thomas Blyth, watchmaker and jewel- 'j ler, 4, Hector-street, Petone, appealed- ' on "*|the ground of undue hardshipThrough his solicitor, Mr. R. C. Kirk* , he informed the board that he was a maiv ; ried man and narrowly escaped being in,.the Second Division. He had one-child.,. Twelve months before the war he purchased a jewellery business and had simsl been able to dispose of- it. He had advertised it in several places. His wife was in delicate health, and he required;-" at least two months' leave of absence. After hearing appellant's personal^ i statement the board granted him oner". month's leave. THE ENGINEERING- TRADE. His employer (William Orabtree) a.p-*----pealed on behalf of William Charles Hastings, engineer, 146, Russell-terrace. Air. Crabtree stated that Hastings was a specialist *.nd * worked a high-speed lathe It would be exceedingly difficult to replace him, and another boy would! have to be trained. 'Before the- war hehad 40 to 45 employees, but he was nowi reduced to about 20, which number in-: eluded about three in the First Division.. It would be impossible to replace Hastings by an outside man. ■ The Chairman; What-'would happen i£' Hastings was run over by a traracar tomorrow?—l suppos» ive would survive; somehow. The appeal was adjourned until after-: Hastings has appeared before the Medical Board. A PAINTER'S CASE. John William . Victor Robinsdn, B' painter, 9, Austin-street, Wellington, ap- " pealed on the ground of undue hardship. He stated that his father- and wily, brother of military age were both serv-: ing at the front. He- was married, but his wife was in delicate health, and he desired leave until after April. He had already enlisted and went into camp with the 4th "Reinforcements. He was rejected as medically unfit, but had since been re-examined and had passed as fit. He was willing and anxious to serve. Two months' leave of absence withouis pay was granted. A CONTRACTOR'S APPLICATION. Richard Moffat, builder and contractor, Miramar, applied for six months' leave of absence (from 20th December), iv ordef to finish existing contracts. He said ho had passed the Medical Board, and was | ready to go into camp as soon as his work I was finished. The contracts had been delayed owing to the shortage of labour? He had -undertaken no new work since he had been drawn in the ballot. In a, confidential statement he outlined his financial position. The board . decided to allow three months' leave of absence. ; WANTS TO SELL HIS BUSINESS. James Sievers, upholsterer and cabinetmaket, who appealed, said lie was quite; prepared to go, but wanted exemption, for three months iv order to sell his' business or his stock. There was some difficulty about selling the business, because men in the Second 'Division were becoming frightened. „.. ..iGap.t.. B.aldwin^ People^arerJJegifliiinfi

to realise- that tie First Division is not unlimited.

Appellant: " That is so." He had one other brother of military age who was not in the '. forces. Unless he (appellant) was given three montlis' leave he- would be a. ruined man. He had worked very hard for four years, and it •would mean a big sacrifice to him .when he went into camp.

The board granted two months' leave.

SUPPORTING AGED PARENTS,

Alfred Charles Wragge, soapmaker, Nelson-street, Petone, based his appeal on the ground of undue hardship, stating that ho was the sole support of his parents, both about seventy-five years of age. His younger brother was at the front, and his two sisters were married. The former had stopped his allotment, having been invalided to England. Appellant's wages averaged £3 per week. He paid 14s 6d rent, and 25s per week to. his parents, who both had the old age pension.

Capt. Baldwin suggested that it might be a case for financial assistance.

The appeal was dismissed. NO APPEARANCE—DISMISSED.

Appeals made by the following were dismissed, as the appellants did not appear : John Martyn Hume, sharebroker, Panama-street; Frank Cox, fruiterer, 9, Crosby-terrace; ■ George Crammond Dnlglish, bootmaker, 12, Reuben-avenue." 1:

LOOKING AFTER CROPS.

"Undue hardship was the ground on which James Gwilliam, gardenoi, Lower Hutt, appealed. He was represented by ■Mr. E. P. Bunny, who asked that reasonable time should be allowed appellant' io fix up his affairs. It was most important that he should obtain sufficient leave to deal with the tomato crop, now ripening. At this time of year the crops needed much attention. He was the sole support, of his mother, 79 years of age, and ii little nephew The property on which he lived was freehold.

Captain Baldwin: You appreciate the fact : that every man compulsorily enlisted must have some hardship?— Yes. And if we granted them leave, we would have no men to go on with?— Yes.

To Mr: Bunny : If he could sell his place to-morrow he would go straight into camp. As it was, he was quite prepared to ; go in in April next. His mother could not be left alone.

The Board granted leave until 19th March.

(Proceeding.)