MILITARY SERVICE APPEALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16979, 16 April 1917, Page 6

MILITARY SERVICE APPEALS

POSITION OF MARIST BROTHERS. RELIGIOUS VOW DEFINED. (Peb United Phf.ss Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. April 14. Before tho Canterbury Military Service Board to-day, Bishop Brodie appealed on behalf of James Les Tracy and James Edmund Butler, Marist Brothers teachers. Tho Minister had not issued certificates in these cases, but 'he chairman of tho board said that they would not depart from their _ precedont of adjourning tho cases sine die.

Captain Spratt said that sinco the last case, the position had 'been somewhat altered, ;is messages from England said that their exemptions to religious workers had been terminated o»ving to tho need for men. Captain Spratt pointed out that all tho argument advanced for Marist Brothers' Schools applied also to the State schools. On tho point of the vows which were made, Captain Spratt asked where the difference lay between anti-militarists who vowed they would not go into camp ;tnd Marist Brothers tcachors who made a vow that they would devote their lives to teaching; or between a Quaker who mado tho samo religious vow and a Marist Brother teacher?

The Chairman (Mr 11. W. B.shop. S.M.) said his view was that tho anti-militarists' vow Wa.s an individual one, wliilo tho other was made publicly and with tho discipline of tho church behind it.

Bishop Brodie agreed t.hat„ public tows made by any person should be ecjually binding, and entitled those making them to 1)0 placed on the same footing. •Mr Bishop: "Well they won't be put on the samo footing by this board. I can toll you that we would have every antimilitarist in tho country coming here and saying that lie had made a vow." Mr-Bishop said that the'matter had been considerably on his mind, and at a conference of chairmen of military boards, to be hold on April 27, ho intended bringing this matter up and asking for a definite settlement of tho policy to be adopted toward Marist Brothers. His own opinion was that those men should receive exemption, but other members did not think so and they should have uniformity. ' The cases were adjouraod till after tho conference.