FURTHER EFFICIENCY BOARD CASES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16946, 7 March 1917, Page 3

FURTHER EFFICIENCY BOARD CASES.

Tho adjourned appeal of Thomas Hall, farmer, Duntroon (Mr Hjorring), -was called. Counsel said appellant had been trying to dispose of his farm, and appellant stated that ho took up tho property after bemg rejected as unfit on voluntary enlistment.— The caso was referred to tho Efficiency Board for report. Harry Osborn Brown, a motor garago and cycle business owner, appealed on the ground of undno hardship. Ho asked for time, and said ho reckoned it would tako close on four months to settle his two businesses up. Ho had enlisted voluntarily, and had bee2i rejected. Now ho was called in tho ballot and passed fit.—Tho caso was adjourned for report by the National Efficiency Board. John Michael Kerio, farmer, Enfield (Mr Hjorring), appealed on tho ground of public interest. He said ho had no one on tho property but himself. It was heavy agricultural land. There were 110 acres under cultivation.—Tho appeal was adjourned for report by tho Efficiency Board. A QUAKRYMAN. John Morrison llenton, certificated quarryman in charge of the quarry at, the Totara limekilns, owned by Miss M - Donald, appealed on tho ground of public interest .Lhero was also an appeal by ( i© employer. said there should bo three men, but they could, not get them. Ho had only on-j man with him, and that man was not constant, being engaged also in dairy farming. Tho lime was used at various freezing works. The stone required skilled classification, and it would take some time for a man to learn to do it. To Captain Free: By the way they were pushed for lime ho thought there was a scarcity in the country. They had not been able to get constant labour for four years! His. certificate was to enable appellant to use explosives; it had nothing to do with classing or analysing atone. Miss MT)onald, the employer, stated that they made a specialty of supplying meat works. The stone had been analysed, and was particularly suitable for the purpose. Witness thought they supplied more meat works than any other quarry in the dominion. She had tried to get quarrymen, but had failed. / Sua s Dickson, Oamaru- manager for the JNew Zealand Refrigerating Company, also gave evidence. Mrs M'Donald's lime was, as far as he know, practically tho only lime suitable for their purposes. • It was used in all tho works of the company. The Chairman announced that the board was of opinion that tho exrjert knowledge required was not so essential as had' been made out. As long as labour could be obtained tho board thought it was quite sufficient. In order to enable arrangements to •bo made, however, a month's time would be .given.—Tho appeal was accordingly dismissed. A BLACKSMITH. John Archibald * Dalgleish Mime, blacksmith, Mahcno, appealed on the ground of public interest. w i|liam Maeaulay, a. former, who stated that he had no interest in Milne's business, gave evidence, in the course of which he said that Milne was necessary to the farmers of the district. A petition was put in signed l bv a number of farmers. The signature of* Lieuten-ant-colonel Nichols was among theso, and the witness Maeaulay replied to Captain Free that ho had obtaine/ that. Mr Ongley, for tho appellant, said that tho appellant had no intention of appealing of himselt. Ho had only done so in response to tho expressed wishes of the farmers. The appeal was dismissed, tho board giving appellant a month in which to make arrangements. CLAUSE 35. Robert Thornburn and William Forsyth Thornburn, called up under clause 35, appealed.—Robert Thornburn stated that he ■was a dairy farmer, with a Government lease, and William assisted him. He asked' for time. He was willing to go, and if he did not pass fit William was prepared to go. Ho wanted to get in about 20 acres of wheat before going.—Tho appeal of William was dismissed, and that of Robert was adjourned sino die.

John Steven Johnston and Thomas Henry Johnston, Georgetown, called vtr> under clause 35, and whose appeals were previously adjourned pending medical examination, again appeared. They had not been examined, and were informed they must attend and be examined next week. Edward -Henry Roes and William Thomas Ross, called up under clause 35, and represented by Mr E. P. Lee, M,P., appealed on the ground that if they went too much would bo left for the others to do. —Mr Lee explained that there were three brothers in partnership (one in the Second Division). He asked the board to consider whether, in the national interest, one or both the appellants should not be left to go on cropping, or ono be sent and the other left permanently, so that the land now in cultivation coukTbe put down in grass. The appellants said that labour was not procurable.—The board refused to entertain the question of exempting both, and gave the appellants the chance of deciding which should go. The decision given was that the appeal of William (who had also been drawn in the ballot) would be dismissed, while Edward Henry would be allowed to go to the ballot. The appeal of Cornelius- Mannix, mill owner, Duntroon, called up under clause 35, and afterwards drawn in the ballot, was withdrawn, appellant being classed D (unfit). FELLMONGEMES. Charles Hedges (Mr Ongley) appealed in respect of his brother, W. Hedges, on the ground that ho was indispensable to appellant's fellmongery business at Eveline. Ho said that his. brother enlisted at Timaru. The works at . Timaru were closed down when the Government commandeered the sheepskins, and they did not,- know they were handed out again. _ His brother was an expert with the machine. Appellant had been trying to get a man to take his place, and his brother had also been trying to get a man, being anxious to go to the front. Appellant's works were registered niider the commandeering scheme. The Chairman said that the appellant wculd havo to mako a very strong case before the- board would consent %a practically bring a man back from camp (Hedges being due to leave for Trentham to-day). The board could only make a recommendation in any case. v

To the Chairman, appellant said it woul<l tiko from uu'ee to six months for an intelligent man to acquive the necessary skill to take his brother's place. Captain Free said ho had communicated with the Ministry of Munitions regarding the fellmongering industry, but had not yet received information as to how it was regarded. Appellant said that from information from Dunodin and elsewhere there would soon, be a serious block in the fellmongering industry if skilled labour were not procurable. The board decided to recommend, felt leave bo granted for three months. CONDITIONAL EXEMPTION. B. Smith, fanner, Steward Settlement, appealed in respect of his son Edward Smith, the only boy he had left on the farm. Two of his sons were in the trenches, and appellant was not able to do the horse work.— Conditional exemption was granted. William Fleming Warnock, farmer, "Whitstone (Mr Hjorring-), appealed on the grounds of •undue har<Miip and public- interest. His mother he said, was dependent on hiin, and ho had no one. ho could leave in charge of the place.—The appeal was adjourned sine die, conditional on the appellant remaining in the eame occupation. GENERAL. Albert Richardson Smith, saddler, Oamaru, appealed for time in order to wind up his business.—He-'was given till April 30. The appeal of Arthur Vincent O'Connor, plumber. Oamaru (Mr Ongley), was again called. The appellant, who was married kite in 1915, had never enlisted, and had been passed fit He had his mother to keep. There was a younger brother.—Tho case was adjourned pending any recommendation that might be made by the Minister regarding ah application for financial assistance.

The appeal of Andrew Jardine, who did not appear, but who has been classed for homo service, was formally dismissed. The appeal of David King Giffin was similaxly dealt with. It appeared in any case that appellant was not a first division man. Tho appeal of Edward Francis Kenny, sheep farmer, Benmoro Station, was dismissed, appellant not to be called up beforo April 10.

The appeal of William Aitoheson, who did not appear, was formally dismissed, Capta-n Redmond (group officer) stating that tho appellant was in camp. The appeal of James Batchelor, a returned soldier, was allowed.

Tho appeal of John WfKay, of Otokaieike, classed for homo sesrvioo. was wifihdrawa