IMPORTANT DECISION

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 28, 1 February 1917, Page 8

IMPORTANT DECISION

PRIESTS AND BROTHERS IN THE BALLOT

POSITION OF THE FORMER

Decision was given by the Third Wellington Military Service Board to-day in the cases of a Marist Brother, three Catholic priests and a fourth year theological student. These appeals were heard yesterday afternoon, and are fully reported upon ■ elsewhere. Considerable importance attaches to the decision in that the board difWrtiitiated between the Marist Brother (wO :s a teacher at a Catholic school) and the priests, and also decided to merely adjourn the latter cases, in spite of a certificate from the Minister of Defence recommending exemption on the ground of public interest.

Tile decision in the case of Denis J. Cody, Marist Brother, was that the appeal be adjourned sine die, exemption being granted in the meantime, providing appellant remained in- his present occupation. The appeals on behalf of Fathers' Culleu, Moore, and O'Farrell, and the theological student, John James Riordan, were also adjourned sine die, with suspension of duty meanwhile, but the board intimated that the cases would be reviewed before the First Division of the Reserve was exhausted.

It is provided in the Military Service Act that in determining an appeal on the ground that the calling up of a reservist would be contrary to_ public interest the board : shall, unless it sees good reason to the contrary, accept as sufficient a certificate by the Minister for Defence that the occupation of the reservist is of such a nature that his calling up would be contrary to public interest. Certificates as provided were forwarded in each case mentioned above, signed by the .Hon. Arthur M. Myers, for the.Minister of Defence.