LIABILITY FOR SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25803, 26 March 1945, Page 2

LIABILITY FOR SERVICE

Sir,—There 1? no doubt that most people in New Zealand will have been astounded and disgusted when they read of the Deere appeal case. The'first reaction would be to wonder what, sort of men compose our armed forces appeal boards that such a shocking thing should be so callously put across a family with such a magnificent war record. Whemone thinks of the thousands who are still being exempted for various reasons one Is filled with a sense of infuriation that such a cold-blooded decision could be given on an appeal. Why, to put a case, should a milkman, for example, be exempted when his job could be done by a woman? Why exempt any fit man when if he passed out. to-morrow his job would have to be filled, or rationing would have to be extended? The idea of sending long service men overseas for a second term even if it was not in such circumstances as surround the Deere case, while other fit and able men still sit back in New Zealand willing to take this sacrifice from others, is so nauseating to the average person of normal sensibility that it makes one wonder what has gone wrong with a country that would stand such a thing foxeven one day. And yet it seems to be the policy of the New Zealand Govei-nment to flog the willing horse and pamper the unwilling. I am told by a close relative who recently reported back to an air force station after over four years’ service overseas that air force men are liable to be sent now to the Pacific for more service. One can imagine what the parents of these boys are going to say and do about this sort of thing, especially when they know others who are exempted and even perhaps have them as neighbours. What of those boys who have no trade and are apparently going to have no opportunity to learn one? And what of the Government’s high falutin promises to those who have had their turn of service overseas? But it is not astonishing when one thinks of the war record of some of the members of the Government. One thing is certain, and that is that a Government with a good proportion of returned men who actually know and appreciate what service is would never allow such things to besmirch the fair name of New Zealand as have been seen all too frequently recently, and are still occurring.—I am, etc., Rifio Brlgademan.