HOME GUARD

Grey River Argus, 8 October 1942, Page 3

HOME GUARD

EXTENT OF MINERS’ EXEMPTIONP.'A. WELLINGTON; October 7. The extent of the exemption of the coal miners from Home Guard service was explained to-day by Hon. A. McLagan. the Minister of Industrial Manpower, who said that, with the authority of the Adjutant-General of the Forces.' Brigadier Conway, there was a temporary arrangement made enabling miners to be exempted from attending particular parades, but the miners were not exempted from service in the Home Guard, and where they desired to do so. they 1 were entitled to attend narades. DUNEDlN7_October 6. When the Appeal Board was granting a sine die adjournment for Kaitaugata Coal Company’s appeal for a miner, on condition that he served in the’Home Guard, the Company Secretary, said a notice was posted at the mine 'stating that miners were exempted from service in the Guard. The notice had been issued by authority of the Minister of Industrial Manpower, Hon. A. McLagan. “Well, this Board ha s not received any notice of such exemption,’’ said the Chairman, Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.. “and the man will have to serve in the Home Guard as a condition of the appeal being adjourned sine die.” AUCKLAND, October 6. At a meeting of Huntlv A Company Home* Guardsmen, it was resolved: “That this meeting of Guardsmen takes strong exception to an order issued on September 21. .exempting coalmine workers from Home Guard training and considers that owing to i:he extreme gravity of the war situation training should be made compulsory for all eligible men not serving in the armed forces.” More than 50 per cent, of those present at the meeting were miners. A similar resolution was passed by Rotowaro Home Guard unit, which is comprised almost entirely of coalminers. Speakers at Huntly asserted that there was no reason why coalmine workers should be exempted as it could be shown from the mine time books that mine workers eligible for training during the past year had worked on an average not more than 40 hours weekly,. The order includes clerks, surface h'ands, rope road workers and truckers as well as miners. The effect of the order would be the immediate interruption in training of a battalion which consisted of 400 coalmine' workers out of 600 of its strength. It was pointed out that this was a 'coastal battalion and required every possible man. •