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New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9622, 30 March 1917, Page 8

The father of an appellant before the Military Service Board this week (reports the “Marlborough Express”) pleaded that the shortage of labour in that district was so acute that if his son —who was his right-hand man —-were called up straightaway it would be almost certainly impossible to get the farm ploughed and cropped. After some questioning as to the efforts the witness had genuinely made to replace his ison, Mr J. S. Evans, S.M;, recalled the reference he made in Ashburton to the experience of a retired farmer, a thoroughly capable man, who vainly offered for a considerable period to give his services gratuitously to relieve some man eligible for the front. Mr C. H. Mills said that his two cousins in the Sounds district 'would willingly have given £250 a year to such a man; he would be very pleased to take particulars of the offer. Mr EVahs gave the patriot’s name and address, and Mr Mills noted them- Mr Evans mentioned a similar case that came under his notice at Ohriv'ctmrch. This man tried hard for three or four months for a responsible position, and failed to find an opening, though he was a first-class farmer with a Lincoln College training. A farmer in the courthouse ejaculated: “I’ll take him 1”