No Appeal For Man Who Is A Soldier

Northern Advocate, 17 December 1942, Page 7

No Appeal For Man Who Is A Soldier

“Where is there power for the Director of National Service to appeal for a man who is already a soldier?” asked Mr. C. P. Orr Walker, chairman of the No. 1 Armed Forces Appeal Board, during the hearing of an appeal at Pukekohe today by the director on behalf of Alexander McDowell, assistant market gardener, on the grounds of public interest and undue hardship. Evidence showed that the reservist was formerly employed by a farmer, wno appealed for him in August, 1041. The appeal was dismissed, service being postponed until April. 1942. At that time he was doing part-time work for his present employer, E. R. Copsey, and he had later taken full-time employment with Mr. Copsey. The reservist had not been called up. although his service had been postponed only until April last.

Comment by Chairman

“It is a question of principle in this case,” said Mr. Orr Walker. “Here is a single man, Grade I.—a man who should have been in camp two years ago in fairness to the married men. I think married men would be very annoyed to find that there was a single man about who should have been in camp two years ago.” E. R. Copsey, market gardener, stated that he and McDowell were the total staff on his market garden of 30 acres at Pukekohe. Casual native labour was uncertain and unreliable.

The chairman pointed cut that McDowell must be regarded as a soldier after April last, and the case would have to be dealt with on the same lines as an application for release from camp. The appeal of the Director of National Service was accordingly dismissed. Another Case Adjourned An appeal was also lodged by the director on behalf of Graham Stanley Fausett, market gardener, on the ground of public interest. It was stated that the reservist was Grade I- and single. There had been some oversight, said the chairman. The reservist should have been in camp, as he was called in the ballot on August 9. 1941. Reservist's father stated that the reservist had volunteered and gone into camp at the beginning of the war, but he was under age and had been discharged aFer ten weeks in camp. He was now 22.

"We are sending married men with children overseas, and this is a Grade I. man, single," said Mr. Orr Walker. “A.dded production is staring the growers in the face,” said Mr. M. R. Grierson, who appeared for the appellant. “The labour position is most acute and is going to be worse. There are 10,000 tons of additional vegetables to come out of this district.” In view of the fact that the crop had to be harvested, the case would be adjourned until March, said the chairman. He hoped that the Primary Production Committee would get someone for this work, perhaps a Grade 11. married man, even if he had to be taken out of camp.