MILITARY APPEAL BOARD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue 13050, 12 January 1917, Page 5

MILITARY APPEAL BOARD.

INVERCARGILL, SITTINGS

(Per Press Association.) Invercargill, January 11. John M'Leary said he had been medically examined, and the appeal was wathcTrawn. Henry M'Connacliie- appealed on behalf of AthoL Roy M'Connachie. His son was his right-hand man. and his assistance was absolutely necessary. 'Leave was granted till April Ist. James Henry Boniface, farmer. Gorge road, aged' 31 years, said he had farmed 51 acres for ten years. He had married last August. He milked ten cows and grazed cattle for his neighbors. He had three brothers. His father was engaged on a,' sawmill. One brother had been killed at the front. Two. others were married, and one was single He had; back debts and' was delicate.

James D. Shepherd, chairman of the Gorge Road Recruiting Committee, gave evidence to the effect, that appellant could easily go to the front. He bought the cows, etc., for the purpose of dodging his military service. The appeal was dismissed. William W. Millar, Invercargill, aged 25 years, had two brothers in the second division and two at the war. He asked' for leave, till the end of April. Appeal dismissed. Leave until M-arch Ist was granted. George Morton, d'airy fanner, had two married' brothers engaged in farming. One brother left the farm and. went to the war. The father was 70 years of age. Appellant had not tried to get awav. His brothers could only manage their own farms. James Shephard, chairman of thn Gorge Road Recruiting Committee, said he had to work under worse conditions than those ruling on Morton's farm. He thought they could manage with outside help. Appeal dismissed. Appellant was allowed till April ]st to make arrangements. Percy Amanuel Holtz, Invercargill, appealed oil the grounds of undue liardship. He presented a statement of his financial position. l to the Board, and asked for six months' exemption. He had two .brothers, one over military age. The other was about 45. Appellant was 33 years, and 1 was married. His wile and child were dependent on him.

Tho Board said it was sympathetic, but the Act was there, and: thev had to administer it. The appeal would have to be dismissed.

Pierce Prendergast * Invercargill, said his parents were dependent- on him. His father was 71 years of age and very weak. His mother was in her 60th year. Appellant was a telegraphist, and wanted to jjfet away as such with the forces, as he would then get halfpay from the department. One brother had enlisted, and was now in camp. A younger brother was still at school. A third brother was n. cadet telegraphist, and was also in the ballot. The appeal was dismissed.

Donald' White, Wiklbusli. farm laborer, said he worked oil his father's farm of 400 acres. He had' about 80 head of cattle, and .jiiilked 30 cows. He also ran sheep. Hi 9 brother was in camp, and: one was married on h.is own farm. He had enlisted', but his parent?, had prevented him going. The appeal was dismissed, appellant to be called' up on April Ist. James Alan Whitelock, Tihaka, said that of his brothers three were married and! one aged 16 was at home. His. parents were old. He milked ten cow.s on a farm. Appellant had not enlisted, and he had weak eyesight. H.is mother was seriously ill. Exemption ■granted conditional on remaining in the. same occupation. Pearce George Bridgman, sawmiller, Pourakino, was ai>pealed for by his employers on the ground that the industry was an essential one. James jMoore, jun., employer, said his mills were in Longwood ranges. 12 miles from Riverton.

Thorns O'Byrne, secretary of the •Sawmillers' Workers' Union, gave evidence as to the scarcity of sawyers. About 500 members of the union bad gone to the front. Captain Free suggested' that as they were only a- mile apart and trade hadgone off, one team could work the two mills alternatively, and thus release one body of men for other work. Only one sawyer would then be required. The Board said the first, question wa« whether the industry was essential. and the other question was. whether the mill, could get along without appellant. The evidence showed that the mill was only running half-time, and the Board thought Captain Froe's suggestion was a feasible one. Of course the sawyers were essential to the industry, but in this case ho did not consider appellant to be indispensable. At present they did not consider sawmilling to l>e an. essential industry.

The appeal -was dismissed. Ernest Victor Shirley, Colac, said lie Jiad married last year, and' was fit to •go now, but asked for three months' grace, as lie had had his leg hurt: The appeal « as dismissed. AVilliam Todd 1 , Pukemaori, farmer, farmed 252 acres and carried sheep and cattle. He had enlisted twice, bur had been turned down as only fit for home service. . „ The anneal was adjourned For tlirormontlia. John Walsh. Nightcaps, 38 years ot a.<r e farmed' 155 acres, and ran sheep. He liad 40 acres in oats, and 60 acre* in turnips and grass. He nad no brothers. He lived on the farm, ana did! the work by himself. Ho had mad? no effort to dispose of his farm in oidei that he might get away. He. had boon medically examined' and had boon pronounced unfit for service abroad. Tho appeal was adjourned sine die Patrick Francis Clifford said he had not enlisted owing to the interests or his parents. His appeal was adjourned si lift die. r Robert William Williams, farmer, had one brother wounded', one_ at tho front, and a third was aged 17 years, and worked in an office. The. appeal was adjourned' sine die conditional on his remaining on tho farm. Ernest Victor Shirley, sawmill liana, Colac, asked for three month. Appeal [dismissed. ' Richard Pennington, farmer, I si a. Bank, was allowed till April Ist. James Alexander Kirkpatrick, farmer, Wairio, asked for time, as his. work was behind. _ Appeal dismissed. James Fraser. ix°n moulder, Invtrcargill, hacl seven brothers. Six wenmarried. A single brother was at Trontham. None of his married brothers, could contribute to his parents- support. Appeal dismissed. . . Roderick M'Donald, farmer, Otapin. appealed on the grounds of undue hardship. He had a farm of 430 acres. He and his brother tossed tip who should <ro. His brother won. Appellant was wiiling to go, if the Board thought ho was not doing his share. Granted tilMay Ist, , , Frank Edward Preston, -«laugnt,iman, Ocean Beach, appealed on tho grounds that his enlistment would b-' contrarv to >public interest. Appeal uphold so long as appellant engaged in his present occupation. John Bruce Thomson, manager tor Thomson and Co.,' Inveicargill, appealed on the ground of undue hardship- He stated that he was a single -man. In the firm were four cousins —two single and two married. He had no brothers. Ho would like to go to the front. His time was fully occupied with his business. He had seven or eight racehorses and a half-interest in another.- He had five in training at the present time. He took an active interest in the racing of only liia own horses. No business, time was devoted to He never attendee! a meeting in the North Islaud and onlv eight or twelve in the South Islaud. " In the last twelve months his firm had been supplying troopships with aerated waters and cordials. He had no interest in the business. If the Invercargill branch was closed till after the war, lio essential industry would be affected, only the employees. A new plant was half erected. Already one menilier of the firm had enlisted, twel\ e montlis ago. . George Thomson, manging director ot the firm, said* appellant was indispensible because of his knowledge of the manufacturing branch. The Invercar•riH branch could be closed, but the firm had taken 50 years to build up their business. His reason for appealing was not because the firm was afraid of losing a little money. Decision: reserved. Conditional exemptions were granted in a number of cases. The following appeals were dismissed: John Joseph Forde, farmer, Woodlands; Allap Robertson, Kylas, sawmill Rand; Loctiiel Ernest Duncan Sinclair,

farmer; Alexandei* • Edwa-rds, farmer, Centre Bush; William M'Eilienny. lorer, Edend'ale. The following appeals were adjourned : John Mann, blacksmith. Wal.'iacetown; David Eric Savers, cheesemaker, Edendale; James Cambers:, farm manger, Merrivale. Time was granted to Albert Edward Howden, daily farmer, M'ataura Island; Thomas Neill" cheesemaker, Pine Bush; Francis H. M'Gillvray, dairy farmer, Thornbury; Robert Finlayson, and Walter Hindis.

An appeal on the ground of over age wan upheld.

CHRISTCHURCH SITTING. (Per Press Association;) Christchurch, January 11. At to-day's sitting of the Canterbury Military Service Board Bishop Brodie appealed on behalf of Arthur Leopold Berger, of Christchurch, and Michael Andrew of Timarti. Catholic priests. Exemption was granted. The Railway Department appealed on ■behalf of James Wilson, litter, and Thomas Richards, locomotive fireman, upon the ground that it would be contrary to the public interest tocall them UP- i 1 The Chairman stated 1 that it would be much more satisfactory to have all the railway appeals heard in Wellington.

Mr Stringleman, railway district traffic manager, who appeared in support of the appeals, agreed with this view.

Tho appeals -were adjourned sinedie.

Robert Walter Baker, of Spreydon, clerk, appealed upon the ground of hardship. He said' one brother had been Hulled, leaving only himself to look after and 1 support his people. Tho Chairman said the only question was one of sentiment. The Board admired the appellant's family, but it could not allow sentiment to carry it away. The appellant could make an allowance to his parents "cut of his> pay.

The appeal was dismissed. Hfnr.v Martin Dart-nail, clerk, appealed upon the ground of conscientious objections. He claimed to bo a member of the "Church. of God," and could not. take up arms with a. clear conscience. The appeal was dismissed, and the appellant was recommended as a noncombatant.