CALLED TO THE FLAG

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10085, 26 September 1918, Page 2

CALLED TO THE FLAG

TWENTY APPEALS HEARD BT THE FIRST WEIiINGTON BOARD. Twenty appeal cases were dealt with yesterday by the First Wellington Military Service Board—Messrs D. G- A, Cooper, S.M. (chairman). D. McLaren ind Guy Williams. ABSOLUTELY STRANDED. The Commissioner o* Stamps applied for a three months' extension of leave for Corporal Harold Be&nland Walton (chief stamp clerk, Wellington). Walton's assistant, stated the Commissioner, was now laid up in a private hospital vith a severe heart attack, and the office was absolutely stranded. The position, indeed, would not be much, better when the assistant came back, as Walton had been appointed to the New Plymouth ofdce. but witness had not been able to let 'nm (jo because of the pressure of work <n Wellington. Three months' leave was '•ecommended by the board. SHORTAGE OF SHIPWRIGHTS. The adjourned appeal of the .Patent Slip Company for the exemption of David Jashman (assistant ship foreman ana .shipwright) was irehoard. The secretary to the oompanv said that they now only h«l five shipwrights, including Oaaaman, as airainst ten at the beginning of the war, while the work had considerably increased. . . The chairman said that at the hearing in April the manager had promised to train a man in six months to take Cashman'e place. . The manager 6aad that be had trained % man for the pipping of vessels, but they only had five shipwrights and had V> let work Ko because they were quite unablo to cope with it. They were only applying for Cashman because of the shortage of shipwrights. In April last they - had eight- shi DWrish *»,- -but now they had only four, besides Cashman. The secretary to the company stated that, owing to work required by the Marine Department not having been done on the Blenheim she was only allowed to iarry half cargo now. A ffrfiftt dear of vork was reauired on thft Pattena, but •-hev could not get the shipwrights to do it. , '" Indefinite exemption was allowed NEW ZEALAND SHIPPING OOM- - PANY APPEAL

Mr M. Myers supported an appeal by the New: Zealand Shipping Company for the exemption of Alexander Coleman tfoTeman carpenter, Wellington). Mr Of. B. Fuller (Wellington manager to the company) aaid, .that at times, when fitting uP a troopship, Coleman had as many anhity or sUtv in«tt. all oneuw labour, under him. He was the omy permanent man employed for such work, and the position demanded considerable skill and experience in- regard to the insulation of freeing chamber*, eto. Coleman had been fourteen years in the company's employ on such work. Of a total Wellington permanent staff of twenty-<me at the beginning of the war eleven had gone to the front, one <a lady) Had left, and they now.onlv hednin*. This was their first appeal. ' ■ Indefinite exemption was granted; RESERVED DECISIONS.

The following reserved decisions wore announced:—Paul Versehaffelt .{Secretary to Public Service Commission), sine die; S. P. Briggs, adjourned till-November; K. N. H. Browne (Public Trust employee), sine die; B. N. Fowler, leave till November; W. B- Bell and C. B. Little {ships cooks), sine die; Albert O'Brien; to be medically re-examined; G. F. Newton (waterside worker), leave till January; C. B. Smith (watersider), adjourned till next sittings; P. J. Farrow and Hugh Callaghan (watersiders), leave till January- J, Wham (grocers' assistant), leave till January. In the cases of the waterside workers whose appeals" were heard on Tuesday, and" are not mentioned above,- indefinite exemptions were-grant-ed. MOTHEBS- APPEAL. Mrs Finlayson applied for the return to New Zealand of her son, Trooper Wm. J. Finlayson (a soldier on active service). Her son. «he stated had been at the front nearly four years; and,.his -only brother having been killed at the front, he was her sole surviving son. The chairman said that the procedure now wjm that those who bad been at the front over three years had to apply to their rommanding officer for furlough leave, and he advised her to cable to her son to apThe mother of Alfred Wm. James Pacey (a soldier on active service), "to

had been away four years and cne month, and of Frank H. Pacey, who had three years and five months service to his credit, applied for their return to the Dominion. A third son, she 6tated, had been killed at Gallipoli. The board recommended that Alfred be returned on indefinite leave, and that Frank apply to his commanding officer. The mother of Lance-Corporal L. G. Nairn (a soldier on active service) applied on family grounds for his return to the Dominion. Mrs Nairn said that ner son wanted to get into the Royal Flying Corps, but she would like him to return. The board had no recommendation to make in Tegard to her apneal; and the chairman said that they had no power with regard to the desired transfer to the Flying Corps. _ CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY APPEAL. The Wellington Co-operative Sooiety (Mr J. Read, president) appealed for the exemption of their manager (Ernest Ambrose Allaway, classed CI). Mr Read said that the society was a voluntary effort on the part of a number of working men —wages men ei.d salaries men—to keep down the cost oi living. The members had provided th« capital to establish the business, ?nd they thus saved the retailers' profits Their store in Ghuznee street had cnlj been started a comparatively short time. and Mr Allaway's services were invaluable to them at the present time. Mr Guy Williams said that he though) it a very good movement indeed. Mr McLaren: That is the feeling ol the board. The chairman said that the venture deserved every encouragement. Great results often sprang from very small beginnings. Indefinite exemption was granted. SUNDRY APPEALS.

On the appeal of the New Zealand Shipping Company J. R. Hanlon (ship's engineer) was indefinitely exempted. Michael Edmond Fitagibbon (firat officer of the e.s. Ripple, Wellington) was also exempted. The New Zealand Amalgamated Wirelegs Company appealed for the exemption of Isidore Duncan Shearei (second wireless operator on an intercolonial steamer). The appeal was indefinitely adiourned. The wife of Edward Austin Sheppard (eaddUer, Wellington), a voluntary leoruit, appealed for leave for her husband till his class in the Second Divi-sion-rClaes D—was called up. The board recommended that the reservist be retained till the first draft of D Class is called up. Lance-Corporal Thomas B- Capon (returned soldier, Trentham) applied fox indefinite leave, because he had a younger brother at home anxious to get away and two brothers at the front. His father was over seventy years of age, and wanted the appellant to manage his farm. He had been '"gassed" and wounded in l 1917. and still felt the effects of the gas. Indefinite leave was granted provided the younger brother enlisted.

Herbert Hodge (iron-worker, Wellington), was granted leave till the December draft on the appeal of his employers, Messrs Fletcher Bros.', contractors for the Wairarana Farmers' Co-operative As. sociation building now being erected in reinforced concrete in Featherston street, The manager to the firm 6aid that tb.6 building had to be completed for th« coming wool season, and 'they were already very shorthanded. Mr O; C. Mazengarb appeared in sup> port of an adjourned employers' appeal for the exemption of Herbert James Kelly (foreman shipwright. Pefcone). Indefinite exemption was granted. Edward Hankev Portere (artist, WelUnKton) claimed to be transferred to Class Oof the Second Division. The case was adjourned for further inquiries. Private Robert James Morris, of the •Mth Reinforcement, appealed for the exemption of his farm manager (Ambrose Fowler). Appellant stated that he iad 600 acres of well-stocked leasehold at Okaiawa. and he had left Fowler in charge when he himself went into camp. He was milking' fourteen cows, and had to look after all the other stock on the form. -Appellant was a single man, but Fowler had a wife and on© child. Fowler was the only man in the district he could find to take charge. The board adjourned tie oase to fiawera to tear Fowler up there.

Albert James Pointon (manager, Pet/me), represented bv Mr Ward, appealed on the srround of undue family hardship. The case was adjourned till next sittings for further information. Private Arthur William Tompkins (returned soldier, 43rd Reinforcement, Trentham) applied for an extension of leave on the ground that his left hand, which had been wounded, required further treatment. The chairman said that th« appellant, should parade sick in camp. That was the proper routine in such a case. The board had no recommendation to make. The board adjourned till 10 o'clock this morning.