BALLOT RECRUITS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9640, 21 April 1917, Page 9

BALLOT RECRUITS

NUMEROUS APPEALS HEARD BY SECOND WELLINGTON BOARD. A large number of appeals was heard by the Second Wellington Military Service Board —Messrs J. W. Poynton, S-AI. (chairman), T. A. Bambcr and I). Curtice. Captain Cowiishaw acted as military representative. GOOD FIGHTING STOCK. Private Pcrcival Carrington Mace, of the 26th Reinforcements, appealed lor temporary leave of absence to make arrangements for his wife and child. He enlisted for the 9th Reinforcements. but was turned down. He then got married, and had not had time to arrange his affairs when called up by the ballot. Indefinite leave without pay was recommended. A member of the New Plymouth Patriotic Society, who, was asked if he would guarantee that the appellant would go back to camp as soon as matters were fixed up, said that there was no need to do so. The appellant came of an old Taranaki family, a good fighting stock, and was only too anxious to get to tho front as soon as possible. A BUSY CHEMIST.

An employer’s appeal was made in respect of Beniamin O’Connor, chemist, manager of the United Friendly Societies’ Dispensary, Courtenay place. Mr W. F. Ward (solicitor) stated that the appellant was the only qualified man in the shop. He had two brothers at the front, and was not appealing himself. Air O’Connor stated that no had to make up some 30,000 prescriptions in a year. The chairman said that the board recognised that be was engaged in essential, work, especially in view of tho shortage of doctors. Tho case, therefore, would he adjourned indefinitely. GOLD REFINER EXEMPTED.

An employers’ appeal for. the temporary exemption of John McLean Cochrane, in charge of the gold refinery at Paeroa (a voluntary recruit/ was adjourned for so long as he remains in his present occupation. WHICH CHARLES MARTIN ?

Exemptions for sixteen seamen, applied for by Air Vv.'T. Young (socro tary of the_ Federated Seamen’s and Firemen’s Union), were granted. One vase, in which there were two men of the same name (Charles Alartin), and it was doubtful which had been drawn in the ballot, was adjourned till April 30th for further inquiries. Air Young,

as in previous cases, undertook to make -monthly reports as to the men's whereabouts. NEEDED FOR THE TRAAIWAYS.

Mr, J. O’Shea (city solicitor) applied -on behalf of the City Council for a six , months’ exemption for Robert Harold Hunt, an armature winder in the Wellington tramways department. Mr O’Shea said that Wellington had fewer armature winders than any other centre in New Zealand. It was skilled work, the armatures that Hunt had to wind being those in the magnetic brakes, which, with the Wellington heavy grades, it was very important to keep thoroughly efficient. ‘ 'they had tried to get another winder, but without success. However, they had got a man whom they hoped to be able to train in six months. This was the first -ppeal the council had made, though 100 out of 500 employees had enlisted, and two armature winders out of four. Mr W. H. Morton (tramways manager), who supported tho appeal, said that, owing to enlistments there were many new drivers, and the repair work, as a result, was heavier than usual- An adjournment was ■granted till Octobcr'Snd, subject to the man remaining in his present occupation.

SOLDIER’S BROTHER DROWNED. Private Tames Wallace, of the 25th Reinforcements, applied for a temporary exemption to enable him to wind up tlio affairs of his brother, a farmer, recently drowned in one of the Southland rivers. One brother is fighting at tho front, and another is invalided home, wounded. Indefinite leave of absence without pay was recommended by the board. __ "DONE 'HIS BIT.” Evelyn Crawford Wood, enga_ged locally in the Army Service Corps, stated that he had been invalided out of the Expeditionary Forces after seven months’ service in Egypt, and was, therefore, not a reservist. The appeal was allowed. FIRE BRIGADE APPEAL. Superintendent Tait, of tho City Fire Brigade, applied for an exemption in respect of Joseph Martin, a member of tho brigade. The appeal was adjourned till the 28th inst., to bo heard with other similar -appeals. A T.M.C.A. OFFICER. With regard to Wellesley Hughes Cox, junr., a field secretary to the Y.M.0.A., now engaged in Y.M.C.A. work in England, an appeal was lodged by Mr Kcrslcy (chairman of the national committee of tho Y.M.C.A.), who stated that the. Third Wellington Board had granted exemptions in the case of two other field secretaries, one in Egypt and the other in France. Tho case was indefinitely adjourned. THEY TOSSED UP. George Vance Shannon, farmer, Plimmerton, for whom Mr A. W. Blair appeared, applied for exemption. The appellant stated that ho volunteered in 1915, hut was rejected as unfit. Since, then he had been called up by the -ballot and passed. His only brother was in the 9th Reinforcements. Me was farming an SCO-acre sheep farm for Ins mother, and could I not find a manager who could take his place. Ho tossed up with his brother to see which of them should enlist, and his brother won. When appellant volunteered in 391.5 ho could have got a man easily, but it was very different now.' Seven of his relations were at the front, so none of them could help in the matter. The case was adjourned indefinitely: to be reviewed, however, when tho First Division is exhausted. SUNDRY APPEALS. Hugh King, polish mixer, Berharapore, appealed for exemption on religious grounds, hut admitted that though bred a Presbyterian' he 1 subscribed to no particular creed. His employer, who also 'appealed, failed to put in an appearance, and both appeals were dismissed. William Allen, cabinetmaker, Lower Hutt. was temporarily exempted for business reasons till July 12th. Private Albert Mclntyre applied for I two months’ leave of absence to ar- J

range bis and his mother’s affairs, which be had been unable to do before £Oing into camp, iiis mother has a farm-of 50 acres, and has nobody to manage it. Leave was granted as desired.

Spencer Stephens, carpenter, appealed for leave until Juno for business reasons. Leave was allowed till May Ist.

An employers’ appeal in respect of John Arthur Floyd, slaughterman, was adjourned without date, subject to his remaining in his present employment. The employer of Reginald ' Long, farm manager, Tahora, appealed for an exemption, which was granted, subject to re vie iv when the First Division is exhausted

An appeal from the Customs Department in rosr«:ct of James Henry

Forrester (Customs examining officer! was adjourned till May Ist in conformity with previous decisions so that all similar cases may be reviewed on -the same day. The appeals in relation to two 'Catholic priests (James J. Frahor and John Morris) were adjourned indefinitely, subject to review when the First Division is exhausted.

James Lawrence Stormont, paperruler, Wellington, appealed on the ground of his mother's delicate health, and his contributing to her support. The chairman said that it was a case of hardship, but there were much worse cases. He was returned by the Medical Hoard as “Class A, fit.”* His mother could live with one of his brothers. They could hardly grant his appeal. The appeal was withdrawn, leave being recommended till May 3rd.

Mr Corliss (Land and Deeds Department) appeared in support of the departments appeal for a temporary exemption for William Adam Wilson, a clerk in the head office of the Stamps Department, Auckland. Mr Corliss said that so many had gone to the front that although Wilson was a junior ho could not be spared. An indefinite adjournment was ' granted, the case to be reconsidered when the First Division is exhausted. The case of J. J. McGrath, a clerk in the Wellington Deeds Office, was adjourned to June 20th.

An adjournment till April 30th was granted in the case of Roland Barnsley Edge, lasting-machine operator, on the application of Messrs Staples and Co., bootmakers, his employers. The company’s manager said that the shoe trade had suffered to tho extent of 600 mon by enlistments and men being called up in the ballot. So many trained men had gone that they didn't know how they oodld continue unless they wore given time to train men to take' their places. Alfred Burns, butcher, Karori, produced his birth certificate, which showed that he is not yet twenty years of age, and his appeal was accordingly allowed.

At 2.45 p.m, the board adjourned till 10 o’clock on Tuesday, morning next.