ARMY APPEALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23966, 16 May 1941, Page 10

ARMY APPEALS

CONSCIENCE CASES PROCEDURE EXPLAINED CALL FOR MEDICAL TEST [ BIT TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] WELLINGTON, Thursday The Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, in a statement today regarding conscientious objectors, said that in future it was intended to call these men in for medical examination in the ordinary course without waiting, as in the past, until after the hearing of their appeals.

The Minister pointed out that where I a man was found permanently medically unfit, grade I, the appeal was struck l out as the man was transferred to thfe 1 third division: and that where a mans I grading was C 3, the appeal was ad- » journed sine die as no requirement was at present imposed on such men in re- " spect either of military service or of > alternative service. It was considered desirable that this practice .should be ! followed in respect of conscientious ' objectors. » The Minister added that attendance ' for medical examination would in no ' way prejudice the hearing of appeals, but would save many men the neces- ' sity of preparing their cases and of at- " tendance before the boards. It was in- ! tended that this procedure should be adopted in respect of men called in the recent overseas ballot gazetted on May . 7 and in all subsequent ballots.

i CHEESE FACTORY HANDS 1 BOARD MEMBER'S COMMENT , (0.C.) ' HAMILTON, Thursday i "The position is very serious," said , Mr. A. E. Manning, a member of the > No. 2 Armed Eorces Appeal Board, ai a sitting of the board to-day, when the i New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Coml pany, Limited, appealed for the e.vompi tion from military service of a number ■ of cheese factory assistants. The lac- - tory superintendent of the company, Mr. W. V. Kirkman, was giving evidence in support of the appeals._ Mr. Manning said he hoped it was realised that the greater the number of single men exempted the sooner would married men be called up. He asked if the company had tried to secure married men for the work. Mr. i Kirkman said it was extremely diffii cult to get men now and it was going . to be more difficult next year. We have I explored every possible avenue in an ; endeavour to get men for cheese fac■j tories, and the position i.s very serious," Mr. Kirkman added. "It would not be possible to employ female labour in this type of work." : The appeals were adjourned sine die, k on the condition that the men became " members of the Home Guard. 3 MINERS' CASES ADJOURNED fc Ml T ST JOIN HOME GI'ARD (0.C.) HUNTLY, Thursday 1 Evidence concerning the acute shortf age of coal and the lack of adequate . staffs of miners at most of the collieries $ in the Huntly district was given : before the No. 2 Armed Eorces Ap--5 peal Board at Huntly and Ngaruawahia yesterday, when' appeals against ) service with the overseas forces by miners were heard, i One mine manager stated that owing to the recent number of holidays there was still a shortage of coal and his company had been unable to supply - its quota to the New Zealand Railways » for six weeks. Another manager stated ; that all the collieries were short-staffed, > and at his mine he could find work for 1 50 miners immediately.

The appeals in all the cases for the miners, which were on the grounds of public interest, were adjourned sine die, with the proviso that the reservists are to join the Home Guard. TERRITORIAL MANOEUVRES EXEMPTION SOUGHT (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday Appeals on behalf of 20 reservists for exemption from the territorial manoeuvres from .May 21 to June 6 were heard by the Hamilton Manpower Committee to-day. The chairman, Mr. S. C. ,li. Macky, said at the outset that the manoeuvres were very important, and appellants would have to advance very cogent reasons before exemption from service could be granted. Kxcept in the cases of a baker, a butcher and an engineering firm, all the applications were dismissed, in the cases mentioned it was pointed out that the reservists were engaged on essential service* and could not be replaced readily. A branch bank was directed to obtain help from a larger town. The importance of Air Force service was stressed, and most of the appeals of men enlisted in this arm were dismissed. Territorials engaged as farmhands were directed, a-, a condition of exemption, to do alternative service in the Home Guard or Emergency Precautions Scheme.