RAILWAYMEN AND THE BALLOT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4710, 7 November 1917, Page 5

RAILWAYMEN AND THE BALLOT.

DEPARTMENTAL FEUD ALLEGED.

By Telegraph—Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON, Nov. 6. Although the Second Division ballots have commenced, the Defence Department has not yet taken nearly all the men already called up belonging to the railway service. These men Were not granted exemption, but the .cases of the biggest batch of railwaymen for which appeal was made by the Department were adjourned sine die on an undertaking given by the Railway Department that they would release a certain proportion of the men called up. should go out of ments could be made to do without them in the service. Some time later a ballot was taken by the Railway Department to determine which of the emn called up should go out of the service and into camp. No announcement lias been mad'e as to the talcing of any other ballot, of this kind and, in the meantime, many more railwaymen have been called bv the military service ballots. The position is that there ai'e hundreds of men belonging to the First Division of the Expeditionary Force Reserve now in the.railway service waiting to medically examined. It was suggested at a deputation of members of Parliament which waited on Ministers regarding the restoration ‘- of suburban trains that there was a feud between the Defence Department and the Railway Department and it is still being saidl that the Railway Department is. not making it easy for the Defence people to take railwaymen into camp.