MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10109, 17 October 1917, Page 2

MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS.

A SENSIBLE VIEW. fPas Press Association.) .. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 16. Mr J. S. Evans, S.M., chairman of Uio First Canterbury Military Service Board, interviewed regarding the statements made at Hawora by the chairman and members of the First Wellington' -Military Service Board with respect to the Government's memorandum concerning the depletion of skilled farm workers and the policy to be followed I with regard to production, said; “[ cannot quite understand the attitude taken up by the First Wellington Board as reported by the press wire... iHv .Board has from time to time been .notified with regard to the policy of the Government on national industries. This, in my opinion, is not only necessary to enable the Boards to discharge 1 their duties under the Act, bub I have l on more than one occasion asked for a ! statement of the Government’s policy j on national.industries. In my opinion' the functions of the Boards under the Act are twofold. One ground of appeal is that by reason of his occupation the calling up of a reservist for military services is contrary to the pub-1 lie interest, and another is that hy. reason of his domestic circumstances, or any other matters, the calling up of the reservist is a cause of undue hardship to the man or his dependents. When the appeal is on the former ground the Board has to consider the interest of the country, apart altogether from any question of personal hardship to appellant himself, and when the appeal is on the latter ground the Board, has to consider only the question of hardship to appellant himself or his dependents. My. Board would strongly resent any political interference in individual appeals made on the second ground referred to, hut there is in my opinion a wide difference between political interference in individual cases and the declaration of a Government policy in respect of the interests of the country. in my opinion the-Mili-tary Service Boards cannot rightly exorcise their judicial functions in determining appeals on the grounds of public policy unless they know what. tha ; t policy is. The Government is responsible for that policy to the same extent as it is responsible for carrying on the country’s snare of the war." The only way The, Boards can. discharge their

duties I under fclio 'Act -inTo be 1 kept informed: of the Government policy wiib. regard I;to essential -'industries; I; Ido not look on Ministerial, notifications of Government policy ‘Hob essential in- I dusiries as any : interference ..with the independence of the Boards, but on the contrary consider such nolilicaiions are. essential to a proper discharge of I,heir functions where the appeal is imule on the grounds that the calling np of the reservist is against the public interest. ;1 1