SERVICE APPEALS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20619, 21 November 1941, Page 7

SERVICE APPEALS

ARMED FORCES BOARD SITTING IN GISBORNE STAFFING DIFFICULTIES Only two of the cases set down for hearing at to-day’s sitting of the No. 4A Armed Forced Appeal Board in Gisborne were based on conscience. The balance concerned public interesi and personal hardship, and a majority were initiated by employers whose staffing difficulties were placed before the members of the board, Messrs. H B. Lusk, chairman, F. H. Field, and W. H. Barry. The Rt. Rev. James Michael Liston, Bishop of Auckland, appealed on behalf of Henry Patrick Fitton, religious teacher at the Marisl Brothers’ School, Gisborne. —The appeal was adjourned sine die. The appeal of Thomas John Joseph Langer, shearer, for whom Mr. E. T. Brosnahan appeared, was dealt with at the request of counsel, who stated that if the reservist was not called up until February he would be available then without dislocation of his private interests. —The board dismissed the appeal, and directed that Langer be not called for service before February. 1942. It was explained by counsel that the appeal had been previously held over to ascertain the service obligations of the reservist’s brother, who also had been called up. William Daniel Olley, farm hand, was appealed for by his father and employer, Mr. W. J. Olley, dairy farmer (Mr. D. W. lies). The appellant said that his other son vva; serving overseas already, and he required the reservist to assist him with his operations on 183 acres at Ormond, which included a pedigree Jersey herd. —The board granted r sine die adjournment, directing tha the reservist continue to serve in the Home Guard. Bought Farm a Year Ago Patrick Lytton McCarthy, dairyfarmer (Mr. L. T. Burnard), appealed on grounds of public interest and undue hardship. He stated that he milked 60 cows in the season and cared for other farm stock, without assistance. He had purchased a farm a year ago, believing that he would not pass a medical board for service, owing to injuries received in a motorcycle accident five years ago. Evidence was given on behalf of the Okitu Co-operative Dairy Company that McCarthy had improved the farm materially since taking it over.—The chairman of the board commented that the company had taken things rather for granted in financing a single man into a farm. The fact that he had had an accident a few years ago did not seem sufficient ground for assuming that he would not be called up. The case would be considered. Subsequently the board made a sine die adjournment. Freezing Works Employees

A group of appeals lodged by the Director of National Service affected employees of the Gisborne Refrigerating Company, Limited, the appeals being made on grounds of public interest, and the reservists being Walter Ernest William Morrow, killings clerk, Frederick Burnard Olsen weight clerk, Trevor Joseph Wilkinson, slaughterman, Vesey Joffre Davoren, boner, and Percival McKinley, slaughterman. The board heard evidence from Mr. Frederick Tolerton. manager of the company, in regard to the essential character of the employment of these reservists.

Morrow was described as a permanent employee, for whom there was no trained replacement. The manager stated that the works would not stop if Morrow .were not available, but it would cause serious inconvenience. Three clerks had left the staff for overseas service to date, and two more were due to go shortly. If a boy of the right type was available he could pick up the work in a couple of months, but few boys could be found to accept such work. The chairman: It is a job that a retired man could do, perhaps. The appeal was dismissed, with a provision that Morrow should not be called before April, 1942.

Olsen was described as a scales clerk, responsible for recording all weights of mutton and lamb killed. The manager asked for an adjournment until April next, to see the busy season out and train a successor. The Crown representative, Mr. J. S. Wauchop, agreed .to the adjournment, which the board approved, the appeal being dismissed with that provision. Wilkinson,' Davoren, and MoKinley were treated by the board as essential employees of the company, and the appeals were adjourned until June, 1942.

John Henry Hewitson, a school teacher, appealed originally on the ground that he had been provisionally accepted for the navy. The appeal was then adjourned for evidence in regard to the navy’s intentions. Mr. T. A. Coleman, counsel for the appellant, reported to the board that he had no evidence to put before the board, and the appeal was further adjourned until January.