APPEALS AGAINST SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 24536, 10 September 1941, Page 3

APPEALS AGAINST SERVICE

Every now and again in your paper ’•e read that the appeal board will sit in Invercargill on a certain date to hear appeals from men who are willing to let the other chaps lay down their lives for them. Conscription is only a farce, for when there is such a liberal allowance of appeals it defeats its own object. Men called up in the ballots who go to camp are just as good soldiers as anyone else. I think that when any appellant steps into the dock to face the appeal board, it should regard him as absolutely 99 per cent, coward, forget about the other one per cent., and deal with him accordingly. What sort of a man is he who thinks the other man should go away and fight and make his position secure for him? Any single man who appeals against fighting for his own home is not worthy of the name. Why not call a parade of all appellants some time and see what a reception they would get from the public. The very fact that they would be absolutely ashamed to show themselves on parade in public speaks for itself. Most cases that come before the appeal boards concern farmers. Often we see appeals for two and three sons from one family, and they are getting away with it too, the biggest and wealthiest farmers at that. They have more to fight for than the working people. If these men can sit back and watch married men going away and saying goodbye to their wives and children, they are a disgrace to themselves, their people and their country. They should be denied all the privileges gained by their friends dying for them. EX-DIGGER.