Civil Servants and Military Service

SUVA, Sept. 12. fTTHE Suva Chamber of Commerce X recently asked for formal informa tion from the Government as to the number of young civil servants who are exempted from military training, and the reason for exemption. The general opinion is that discretionary powers given in this direction have been exer cised on too generous a scale.

It is difficult for the layman to under stand how a clerk on, say, £2OO a year can be classed by a big office as a per son essential to the Department’s per formance of its duties. There is no evi dence that exceptions on a scale any thing like that apparently customary in Government Departments have been asked for by commercial houses, and there is still less evidence to suggest that, if asked for, they would be granted.