MEN HELD BACK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20618, 20 November 1941, Page 9

MEN HELD BACK

TERRITORIAL SERVICE STATE DEPARTMENTS ATTITUDE CRITICISED (Per Press Association.) INVERCARGILL, this day. The action of State departments in over-ruling the appeal authorities and refusing leave to their employees to undertake Territorial service, was strongly criticised by the area officer for the Army Department at Invercargill, Major H. C. Mackenzie, at a sitting of the Man-Power Committee yesterday. Three appeals by the Director of National Service for State employees were heard by the committee and in two .cases it was stated that the departments had refused to allow the reservists to go to camp when notified to do so.

“It is a question of whether we require a military force in New Zealand or not,” Major Mackenzie said, in emphasising that the men were required for military service and that the action of the departments created serious inconvenience to the army.

Two of the appeals were dismissed and the third was allowed.

The chairman of the committee, Mr. F. H. Murney, said the cases appeared to be similar to the one which received a good deal of publicity in the North Island. On that occasion it was specifically stated, as every employer should know, that the only authorities authorised to deal with postponements were the Armed Forces Appeal Boards and the Man-Power Committees.

“No employer, whether he is in the Public Service or a private citizen, has the right to act as these people have,” said Mr. Murney. “They have brought a good real of comment and odium on the Public Service which is not justified because the service is as loyal as any other class, but they should not have acted as they did.”