BALLOT CASES.

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 29, 2 February 1917, Page 7

BALLOT CASES.

ASKING FOR EXEMPTION ]

APPEALS BEFORE MILITARY

SERVICE BOARD

'Another big batch of appeals was heard j to-day by the Third Wellington Military;! Service Board, comprising Messrs. W... H;,i S Moorhouse, A. Considine, and M. J.?j Mack. .Captain Percy,, Baldwin is tue/j military representative. { A QUESTION OF FINANCE, V George Murray Ness, mercer, Hawke-1 stone-crescent, Wellington, represented! by Mr. P. J. O'Regan, appealed on theii ground of undue hardship. Counsel i stated tha* appellant was twenty-four,j years of age. His : mother was a widow,** Land had four children, 'including three-' girls, Sged twenty-two, fifteen, and, nine I respectively. , Appellant's* brother \waaj' eleven years of age. Appellant was thai sole support of the family, contributing^ £2 17s 6d for that purpose weekly Ha! had recently lost his father and a sister.yi. The above particulars were given yes-:! terday On resuming to-day, appellant's j mother, Anna Ness, outlined her position, j ' mainly as regards finances. All her chil-^j dren were delicate, . arid the eldest^ daughter was unable to do any work I£j her son went to the front she woukti have no means of making ends meet. ; To Captain Baldwin; Witness had had! exceptionally heavy expenses. . j The board reserved its decision, peiicUi ing further enquiries into the finances oil appellant's family. ■ ,AN ESSENTIAL OCCUPATION. ,; Dr. Hay, Inspector-General of Mental j Hospitals, appealed on behalf of Ronald;" George Keith Hodgson, assisitant medical, officer,, Porirua Menial" Hospital. Hes; stated that Dr. Hodgson some time agooffered hi s services to the Defence De—| partment in any capacity, but had re-;; mained in New Zealand owing to thetj--exigencies of the service., Dr Hodgson/did not ask for total exemption—he- ■ would be the last man to usk for that—-i but it was suggested \ that the matteri ' should.be left to the Director of 'MedicaFj Services. The Department was ■work-vi.; ing short-handed and under great diffi-, 1 culties. Five doctors from the service.' had already gone to the front, and; none of them had been hampered in thej Blightest, ' ... ■■'•■■■■ i Capt Baldwin: Your Department has] nob sat down with folded arms, as itj were, and said, "We . cannot get on. j without., these men?"—No; "we ha^e i struggled on as best we could.' ■ ' | Capt, Baldwin. It is a. pity some pri- • yate firms were not equally- energetic. •' ; Dr Hassell, Superintendent, of .thai Porirua Hospital, said Dr. Hodgson was-;' particularly annoyed that his case had!' gon« to the Appeal Board. \ The appeal was adjourned sine die^ ■ exemption from military service, being! granted in the meantime. ... . , ' A PASTRYCOOK'S BUSINESS.' j Harry Robertson, baker arid -pastry-.) cook, 12, El lice-avenue, was appealed for 1! by his employers (Scott and Co.), who] were represented by Mr. J. J. M'Graithj . There ivas alsoa personal appeal'.^ Counsel stated that the business was run:'' - by Mrs. N. Scott, 261, Willis-street., whoi relied solely upon it as a means ;o£' livelihood. She was a widow,! and had;'', tho whole of her money: sunk iii thai business. , She had made every endeav^ our to secure a substitute for'Robert-:-1 son, buit had not met with any-success.* Robertson himself was the sole support; of an aged mother, whom he-ibrought; out from Home „ ' ';.'.'.' Mrs. ' Scott stated, that if Robertson;; was taken she would have to close up', the business. It was not saleable unless; she conld guarantee that a man could' be secured to turn out the goods.. CaDt. Baldwin • There is nothing tCj prevent Robertson from leaving you?— i Kb; I suppose not. . There is nothing to. keep him with'l, you except that it is the most profitable! occupation he can find?—l think he hasJ other reasons for staying on. ] Have you made any efforts'to sell yourf; business?— Yes; ever since long before] Christmas i Robertson stated- thafc he had been in* New Zealand ten- years. He .received' £4 10s per week. He had established al« home for himself and his mother, who>; was 70 years of age and very frail. She-:;, ■was solely dependent on him, and was; not eligible to receive a pension. The*, .secretary of the union had informed him', that it would be impossible to secure a;.;man to fill his place. ' '(Both appeals were dismissed, Capt.) Baldwin undertaking to obtain leave!' until 3rd March. .., ' DAIRYMAN WANTS TIME. ' .] Hugh Mooney, dairyman, Jackson-, street, Petone, represented by Mr H. -'■ !F X' O'Leary, appealed on the ground of undue hardship. Counsel stated .that-! appellant was in business at Petone,' foW* which business he paid £340 He unmarried in May, 1916. Since ■ beiugv drawn in the ballot he bid 'endeavoured!, to find a purchaser for the business. Total exemption was not asked for, but*; merely further time to arrange his affairs. -.■•■- ' To Capt. Baldwin: Appellant had one ■brothe. at the front, , and another, eligible, who had not yet been called up, ; The case was adjourned for the pro-; < duction of further evidence ; SHEEPFARMER'S APPEAL. . - / 'A • farmer of Pahautanui, Edward ■ Draper, also appealed on the ground of undue hardship Appellant was_ repre-. sented by Mr. H. Il'. O'Leary Miv O'Leary stated that Draper leased 570 a-cres from his mother at £130 per year, another eighty acres leased at £90, and he also had a freehold property ab Moonshinei The average carrying capa-■'. city of the whole of the properties was '■: 1000 sheep. The mother, was solely de- -•' pendent on the rent she received from; her son He had been unable to sell his mother's property, as it was very,' difficult to work, being in four separate areas. Appellant received assistance ' from his brother, "but the latter was quite incapable of taking over the management of the place. To Captain Baldwin. The property • was purely sheep property . He had not enquired whether any neighbours would' look after his mother's property. There, were not many eligible fanners in the : district, and farming operations generally were not likely'to suffer, in lus'dis-, >. trict, at any rate. . Captain Baldwin: Don't you think some of your neighbours would be patri- ' otic enough to carry on your farm 7— I am quite sure that the others have all they can manage now.. Labour is very short - . - ' ■ The main difficulty is labour ?—Yes. Then if the Government, oi a local committee came forward with a scheme, that would get over your main difii- , culfcy?—l suppose so Has any effort been made to arrange matters in. your district?—Nol They are leaving it to the Government?— Yes. What efforts have you made to secure ' labour?—l knew it would be useless trying. I shore practically all my own ' sheep this season. '■..■...'. William Galloway, farmer, Pahiatua,' said he knew Draper, and Draper's property.' Labour was extremely scarce in the district, and was becoming more so" every day. Witness had quite enough to do.on his own farm. • .■'.- , .Captain Baldwin.? .Could got .you*!

neighbours carry on appellant's place for him!;— Not, so successfully as ho does. Quito so. But you would attend to his farm'?,—Yes, but wo are very busy as it is. ' « Would it be of considerable advantage to you if tha Government supplied you with additional labour?—l never hear of any suitable labour. But would"it be of advantage?— Yes, if tho men were suitable. Mi*. Considine commented to tho effect that a national organisation scheme was necessary in the interests of the country. Decision was reserved. SAMOAN" BANK OFFICIAL. His employers, the Bank of New Zealand, appealed on behalf of Charles !Henry Ellis, bank officer at the- Bank 'of New Zealand at Samoa. Mr. Rigg, Inspector of the Bank, jstated that Ellis was an accountant. In jail 370 men in the Bank's service had 'enlisted, and 32 others would be called into camp during the next few months. The Bank preferred to send to the isilands healthy, robust, single men> .The ''Bank would not take the responsibility jof .-fending a man to the tropics. Mr. Mack: Do you take the responsibility of sending your men where you i-want them?—We never send them to the itropics unless they are willing to go. . How many men are there at the itranch?—Three. ' The Chairman: How long would it I take you to replace this man?—lf the jsteamers suited 16 days. I was told to isay that this man was not indispensable, 'but I cannot see how I am going to re- ; place him. The appeal was dismissed, and Ellis J.vihs given leave until 3rd March or so 'soon after that as he may be able to ,'ieturn' to New Zealand. SHORT LEAVE. On behalf of Messrs. Cook and Cook, 'coopers, Petone, Mr. J. C. Peacock ap- ; plied for three months' leave for '. Andrew John Hume. The firm was in making tallow cases, cheese •crates', butter boxes', and boxes for preserved meats. At the expiration of the ..tern) mentioned the various contracts now in hand would be completed, and rHume could be more easily spared. The present was the busiest* season, and ihe works were going 10 hours daily.' The Board granted appellant leave ■until 3rd March, 1917, on condition that ■he remains in his present employment.

(Proceeding.)