CO129-449 - Governor Sir May & Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1918 [7-9] — Page 232

THE APPEAL TRIBUNAL

We

subsequently they had been informed that they took them, leaving the agricultural- Mr. Nairn's case was being reconsidered, ists to do the best they could. The whole and the reply he had received was: of what you have said would be an Nairn especially essential to retain, extremely powerful argument against aino Rawlinson. Do your utmost. Staff, taking any of the senior staff in your your port, China and Japan already

office. reduced to breaking point even without Controller of Shipping that shipping in Wo do not want to be told by the extra Government work, present and this Colony is of vital necessity. prospective. Fully expect would be

know that. We have been brought up on exempted if here." This expectation was that doctrine, but it is impossible for me, in line with the terms of the letter from at any rate, in this mom, to believe that the Ministry of Shipping already quoted,

a youth, locally engaged, twenty years of Mr. Thomson said that even if after bis age, is indispensable. I find that your arguments they decided to take some men pre-war staff in this department was five away he suggested they should take Mr. and is now four, including Mr. John- Johnson, the least experienced man in stone. I would like to ask you whether the office, and grant temporary exemption you have engaged any ladies in this de to Mr. McIntyre, so that in the meantime partment! Mr. Davis, who was a sick man going away, could return and carry on the work. He felt confident that if all the information he had now produced had been placed before the Tribunal their decision would have been different. He had explained the matter to the fullest extent and he could now only leave it in the bands of those present.

H.E. THE GOVERNOR-I should just like to read a telegram from the Controlter of Shipping. The Controller of Ship ning represents that the maintenance of Messrs. Butterfield & Swire is of high national importance and is of the opinion that national nterests demand that all the men necessary to efficiently carry on the work should remain unhampered as under present conditions such people cannot be provided from Great Britain. The Shipping Controller, however, adds, that be does not wish to raise any question of individual cases on which the local authorities are, of course. best judges." Now, in the first place, I would like to mention that if these men were in England-Johnstone, McIntyre and Raw linson-all of them being under 28 years of age, they would have been taken with- out any further question. The need for men has been so great that, as you may have seen from the Home papers, so many agricultural labourers were taken that the agriculturalists represented to the British Government that too many had been taken and that the crops and so on would suffer. We all know that the food supply is a vital necessity in this war; yet tha reply of Sir Auckland Geddes to these people was "We must have men," and

Mr. Ross THOMSON-NO. There is a Canadian lady referred to, but she is not included in those figures. She is not in the shipping branch of the office. If she is included the correct statement as re- gards the staff at the outbreak of war would be six.

H.E. THE GOVERNOR There is one lady. Now I would like to ask you whether you have made any attempt to get a sub- stitute for Mr. Johnstone?

Mr. Roas THOMSON-No, sir,

H.E. the GOVERNOR-Why have you not done so ?

Mr. Rosa TROMSON-I want to know where I am. Moreover, I do not wee much chance of obtaining a satisfactory substitute and I should have to consult the Head Office.

H.E. THE GOVERNOR-As a practical man-I do not happen to be a business man, but I have had 25 years' experience of Government Service it will take a very great deal to convince me that a youth of 20 years of age, whose work, I venture to say, is principally clerical, cannot be substituted. I have before me a list of names.

Mr. Ross THOMSON In that office, sir, the main question is experience. This young man has been there for three years. He is not a great business man; that is not contended, but the substitution which you speak of would, in my opinion, be

229

I