MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

Lake County Press, Issue 2669, 15 February 1917, Page 4

MILITARY SERVICE BOARD.

Silting 1 at Queenstown. (From tin) Lake Wakatip Mail) The second Otago Military Service Board held a sitting at the Courthouse, Oueeustown, on Monday last. The chairman (Mr V. G. Day, S.M.jjg

and Messrs A. S. Orbell and R. Breen were present. Captain Barrett was the military representative, and with him was associated Major Crowthor (group area officer). j3eoil Mcßride appealed for exemption (or three months or until after the harvest.—Not to be called up until 80tb April. J. P. Fitzpatrick, shearer and larmer, Arthur’s Point, appealed on the ground of undue hardship, in that shearers aud farm bands could not be got at present.—Appellant was told that be would not be called up-untyl 80th April P. Enright, farmer, Cardrona, appealed on the grounds that it would leave his property without proper attention, hie father being unable to do the work.—Appellant stated that his farm consisted of 360 acre*, but they did no cropping. There were 300 sheep, which were partly fed on the hay. The principal work was trapping and irrigation. His father was a miner and did not understand farm work. Could not get bands to assist in the work; There was no mortgage on the property.—To be called up on the Ist April. Sweat Cameron, shepherd, Makarora, who applied for exemption until • 81st July, did not appear, and his appeal was dismissed. EXEMPTION GRANTED. T. J. Healy, farmer, Wharehuanui, for whom Mr W. Turton appeared, appealed on the grounds cf undue hardship, in that he had an aged mother and invalid sister to keep and because of financial obligations.—ln evidence Appellant stated that he bad two brothers, one of whom was married. One was at Mossbarn and one resided outside the Dominion. His mother was 78 years of age, and he was the only one left to manage their farm at Spoargrass Flat. The crop consisted of 90 acres of grain, 25 acres turnips, and 25 acres bay. The farm was valued at,£l67s.—The case was adjourned sine die. THE SCHEELITE INDUSTRY. H. J. Hillman, scheelite miner, Glenoroby, appealed on the ground of difficulty in obtaining suitable labor for his work.—lt was ascertained that the appellant was classed G2 in the medical examination, and therefore bis appeal was withdrawn. P. O’Donnell, scheelite miner, Glenorchy (Mr Turton), appealed on similar grounds to that of the previous appellant. Mr Turton stated that scheelite mining was a very important industry. The company for which O’Donnell worked was under contract to supply as much scheelite as they could to the Government. Appellant was used to underground work, timbering, driving tunnels, and also in explosives. If the skilled men were taken away from them they would not be able to turn out the quantity of i stuff required. The owners of the i mine advertised in the Otago Daily i Times for miners at 12s per day, but I only got one application.—Geo. Reid, i manager of the Glenoroby ScheeHte t Mining 00., said that O’Donnell was i skilled in the work. Could not keep j up to the estimate given to the Go I . verbment it they lost their shilled men t His company was spendingirom £BOOO , to £4OOO in opening up a new mine i ; at the Head of Lake and in erecting i 1 labor-saving machinery so as to in-1 < crease the output. Some 25 to 80 men j I employed in scheelite mining had j ■ already gone to the war.—By the j chairman: Don’t you think if you I paid better wages you could command j more men ?—This is the regular rate ! of wages pages paid to miners in New | Zealand. If we had to pay more we ' could not carry on with profit —Cap- j tain Barrett: 1 am not at all in sym- 1 pathy with the Company. Twelve j shillings per day is a miserable pit- i tance to give to skilled miners. Addressing Mr Reid, he said : I think under your management you should be able to make ends meet.—The Chair- I mao ; We are of opinion that you have not made out any claim to have this man exempted. The appeal is dismissed. UNDUE HARDSHIP. Thomas Kinross, farmer, Gibbston, I appealed on the ground of undue hard- | ship. Appellant having failed to put j in an appearance the appeal was dis-1 missed. George Lindsay, farmer, Pembroke, for whom Mr Turton appeared, appealed on the ground of undue hardship io that if he was called up for service it would be impossible to get anyone to work the farm which he had taken over from his brother-in-law, Private W. Studholme, who left with the 18tb reinforcements —Case adjourned. The case of J. 0. Chalmers, farmer, Gibbston, was similar to the previous one, and the Chairman remarked that in cases it was proposed to ask j the Government to arrange for super- i vision of the properties. The appeal i would therefore be adjourned for a I month. NOT RESERVISTS. Walter Manson, farm labourer, Car- j drona, appealed on the ground that he was not a reservist. —Appeal withdrawn. J. Flynn, scheelite miner, Glenorchy, appealed on the ground that he was a scheelite miner and, being over age, was not a reservist.—Appeal allowed. Sitting: at Gore. The second Otago Military Service Board held a sitting at Gore on Friday. J The following cases of local interest | were dealt with : David H. Cockburn (of the Maroroa Run, beyond Lumsden), appealed on the ground of hardship. His brother Was away to the war, and ho had no other eligible brother to take over the responsibility oi the run. At present the station was being worked short j handed. It carried 10,300 sheep. Hi ■: | father worked his own farm. John i Cockburn (the appellant’s father) gave I fividenco that ho had a farm of 800 j

j acr is at Arthur’s Point, and another j of 70 acres adjoining his sou’s property. There was a big death rate on the run, as there was all about the West Dome, which was unexplainable. The death rate was principally in hoggets. Captain Barrett submitted that there was no financial hardship in the case. The appeal was adjourned sine die. George Leonard Morris (Pembroke), for whom Mr Poppelwell appeared, appealed on the ground of hardship. The appsliant he managed his father’s •un I’ mbr ik with 1700 sheep. ' C we've hundred sheep wore shorn last [ /oar. The chairman pointed out that she father wa J a doctor, aud chose tu ■;ary on a run outside his practice. Mr Poppelwell said the run fell into Dr Morris’ hands. It was not an investment by him. The chairman asked if it was not possible to get a manager. The appellant said a suitable man could not bs found. His father, who had had the run for three was not an experienced man. Before the appellant took over the management he was a cadet on a station. Mr Poppelwell said Dr Morris had undertaken to look after another doctor’s practice to enable him to go to the front. The board decided that was no financial hardship, and dismissed the appeal, the appellant not to b.) called up before May 1.