MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 27 October 1917, Page 3

MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

RESERVISTS' APPEALS

_ The Military Service. Boara resumed its sitting in. Hawera on Fndav. In the case.of John Corbett, Ratapiko, before the Board the previous clay the appeal was adjourned until the Novemuer sitting. The following appeals were withdrawn and formally dismissed, appellants having been medically boarded 02: George McGuinness, ciieesemaker, Awatuna; Ernest Hawkes Linnel' rarmer, Midlurst; John Godkin farmer, Taurakawa, Frederick itiches, tanner, Manutahi; John Fred Moorbv tanner, Marangae; Edward Daniel McKay, tanner, Hawera. 'lhe appeal of Joseph Kelly, dairy rarmer, le Roti, was adjourned until th« December sitting, appellant having t»«m medically boarded 82. Robert James Morris, farmer, Opunake, for whom Mr Weir appeared, appealed on the ground of puolic interest and undue hardship. Appellant gave evidence that he was working his father's leasehold farm of i>W acres on which he was milking 80 cows, with a few more yet to come m' i ■ , referred to the difficulty of working the farm because of the shortage ot labor. His father was 73 years pt age, and was unable to do any .heavy work. J The Board did not consider it necessary to hear the evidence of Mr Morxis, senr., and adjourned the appeal

James Spence, voluntary recruit, who had been granted leave from August 14 until October 31, applied for further extension of time to enable him to assist his wife through the M? YAm P °rtion of c making season, ipptefon aPPeared m 6Uppoit of the

The Board decided to recommend leave until February 6. Air? h°maS Francis Rooney, storekeeper, Whangamomona, appealed on the ground of public interest and undue hardship Mr ODea appeared for the appellant.

Francis Rooney, father of the appellant, who is over 70 years of age gave evidence that his son was practically the mainstay of the business. He attended to the whole of the outside work of the business, and in addition was the Government mail contractor. Witness was unable to do any work and had to employ a manager for the inside work of the store. He explained that the goods had to be carried to the bush camps on pack horses. He had another son in France. lhe appeal was adjourned until the December sitting to give Mr Rooney an opportunity of finding someone else *° *ak^tbe appellant's place. lhe Patea Farmers' Co-operative X reezmg Company appealed on behalf ™ewi s kowrie, slaughterman.'' lhe foreman of the company, Mr lhompson, gave evidence that Lowrie was an expert slaughterman, and that *•« C(?" lP^ ny would experience some mffaculty in securing suitable butchers tor the coming season. Up to the present five had been engaged for this season, and Lowrie was one of the five Decision was reserved sine die The appeal of C. R. Sowman, Kaponga, was struck out, there being no appearance of the reservist The appeal of William Henry Hed flyman laborer, Patea, which was previously before the Board, was further considered.

No new fresh facts were brought out, and the appeal was adjourned sine die. lhe appeal of Edward Thomas, dairy tanner, Okaiawa, for whom Mr Ethermgton appeared, previously before the -Board, was further considered. The case was adjourned sine die. John Nicholas Kennedy, farmer, Waverley, applied for leave until February to enable him to get through the season's work.

In reply to the chairman, appellant said January would do. The appeal was dismissed, leave being granted until January 9. , F- H. Tyrer, headmaster of the Stratford District High School, appealed for Frederick Bowler, school teacher Stratford.

Evidence was given by Mr Tyrer that Mr Bowler was an assistant in the secondary department of the school, and the last male teacher remaining on the staff of this department. Two other male assistants had gone to the front, whose places had been filled by women. The secondary department could not be efficiently run without at least one male assistant, whose work was principally with the boys. The women were doing excellent'work inside the school, but it was absolutely necessary to have a male assistant among the boys to take an interest in their outside work. There were 600 pupils in the primary department, with only two male teachers. He had made every possible enquiry during the last two years for a suitable teacher to replace Mr Bowler, and had been unsuccessful.

The chairman said the Board understood the position in regard to the difficulty of getting suitable male teachers.

Decision was reserved sine die. The appeal of Herbert Rudkin. farmer, Tokaora, for whom Mr Welsh appeared, previously before, the Board, was further considered, when the evidence of Mr Rudkin, senr., was taken in support of the appeal. The appeal was dismissed, leave being granted until November 19.

Charles Bayly, farmer. Stratford, appealed on behalf of Robert Robertson Binnie, farm manager. Mr Fookes, who appeared for the appellant, said that Mr Bnvly was at present serving with the forces, having been away for two years. When Mr Bayly went away he appointed Mr Binnie manager of his farm property, knowing him to be a thoroughly trustworthy, reliable man.

Mr Fookes, who is acting as attorney for Mr Bayly, went into the witness box, ant] gave evidence at length as to Mr Bayly's position. Binnie, in addition i<> working his own place of 310 acres, was supervising four dairy farms, aggregating over 2000 acres, belonging to Mr Bayly. Counsel subsequently explained' that be and Mr Binnie had made exhaustive enquiries to obtain a suitable manager to replace Mr Binnie, but bad been unsuccessful. Ho contended that Binnie was doing a patriotic work in the interests of a settler who was also worthily serving his country. Both were nobly serving their country. He pointed out that Mr Binnie's position was a. most difficult- one to fill, as he would have to find a man capable of running his own farm and that of his employer. The appeal came direct from the trenches, and it was one which deserved every consideration. The appeal was adjourned sine die. This concluded the Hawera sessions.