THE LAST CHANCE

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 207, 30 August 1916, Page 7

THE LAST CHANCE

FOR MEN TO ENROL

ONLY A FORTNIGHT ALLOWED.

__S_S ANT» rKPRISOITMENT

OB IMMEDIATE SERVICE.

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■ The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. W. J". Massey), chairman of the Recruiting Board, has forwarded for publication a further statement in regard to the enrolment of men of military age in tlie National Reserve. The penalties for non-compliance are severe, and the regulations are so carefully drawn up that there does not appear to be the smallest loophole for the most determined shirker. Particular attention is directed to the onus thrown upon employers to see that all men working for them are enrolled. WELLINGTON, this day. lis already announced, the enrolment of the First and Second Divisions of the Expeditionary Force Reserve will be Mocbrrmed on Friday, Ist September, and Saturday, the 2nd September respec-1 tivelv. A period of fourteen days thereafter,namely, until Saturday the 16th September, is allowed by the Act to all! men of military age who have not registered; under the National Registration I Act to become enrolled. Military age j means not less than twenty years and under forty-6ix years. This applies equally to men who have failed to -register and to those who had no opportunity to do so through not being resident in the Dominion when the National Kegister was taken. The Act also directs every man who hereafter becomes a nember of the Reserve, either by attaining tie age of twenty years or by becoming a resident in New Zealand, or in any other manner, to make application for enrolment -within fourteen day* of becoming- a member of the Reserve All applications for enrolment must be sent through the post by registered letter to the Government Statistician, mho will thereupon make the necessary additions to the district registers affected. Addressed and stamped envelopes will be obtainable at every post office for purpose on and after Friday, the Ist' September. Failure or refusal to comply with the express directions of the Act entails serious consequences. TViereas the National Registration Act threw the onus on the Government Statistician of proving that a man did not register, the Military Service Act specifically throws on the individual the onus of proving that he did register, or. in cases where the proceedings are taken against an employer for continuing to employ a man who is not enrolled, the onus is on the employer of proving that le or she had some reasonable grounds for believing that his or her employee was enrolled. . COMPOSITION OF THE RESERVE. • The Reserve consists of every male Sritish subject of military age resident in Xew Zealand, excepting members of the Expeditionary Force and soldiers who have been discharged from such force in consequence of disablement or ill-health after service beyond the seas in that force. Members of the first Samoan force, or of the ilain Expeditionary Force, who have been discharged at their own request, and members of the Expeditionary Force discharged either in the Dominion or abroad, because of their refusal to be inoculated or vaccinated, must enrol in the Reserve. Every man who is required to enrol fhtrald, therefore, think well before he fails or refuses to comply with the precise and clear directions of the Act, because in addition to the substantial penalties to which he thereby renders himself liable, he can. on conviction for this offence, be called up forthwith for service in the Expeditionary Force without having any chance of the luck of the hallot. The Government Statistician is preparing a certificate of enrolment, which certificate will be forwarded to postmasters and issued only on application by each reservist. This certificate should be carefully preserved, and should always be in the personal keeping of the individual whose name it bears, for the Act empowers a constable to stw> and question any man who may reasonably be supposed to be of military age as to any matter relevant to his fflemhership of the Reserve, and the production of his certificate of enrolment ■will be a sufficient answer by every man «> questioned. SvESPONSIRIXaTIES OF EMPLOYERS. Reference has already been made to the responsibility of employers of labour With -respect to enrolment. One of the most important provisions in the Act in tins connection is the section which prevents any man of military age receiving 01 continuing in employment in the Itorninion unless he is able to prove that ht- is enrolled in the Reserve. Every employer of labour of any kind whatsoever who. after the enrolment of the fteserve has been proclaimed, engages in h» or her service or continues in his or *er employment for more than seven dajs a man who should be but is not enrolled therein is guilty of an offence runishable on summary conviction by a fine of not l<as than £20 nor more thai . Severe penalties (including a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months) will also be impesed on any Person who employs or retains in his or her service a man who has deserted absent without lea\e from the J£ Xpeditionary Force. Here, again, the onus is on the employer to prove that ne or she did not know that the man *o employed or retained in service was * deserter or absent without leave. I CHANGES OF ADDRESS. In addition to the foregoing provisions dealing with enrolment, the Act **", definite instructions with respect to r*ugea of address after enrolment. It ? the dtAy of every man who has Gauged his abode since furnishing his Personal schedule under the National Act, or. who changes his -*°ode after enrolment in the Reserve, t° himself notify the Government Statistician of suc h change of address by Jegistcred letter. A registered letter Wtm fully addressed and stamped will J* available on and after Ist September *A wery post office in the Dominion for purpose. This notification must be J™* before Saturday, the 16th Septem*er, in the first case, or within 14 days . eianging his abode in the second instance. Liability to a fine not exeeedr"? £20 fo,- failure to do so is the direct Penalty imposed by the Act, but neglect

™_\¥ dut r u m ay -nd in many cases will entail much more serious consequence. cSseri i_ t^' Ct *«-««* i*m.*r finally S _;**■»■ a «*r the gazetting of the SKS8 5, °- 16th Se P tranb <*- Every £ mam on tlle strict Register l- ™„!!r f nan,e aPPeare at that date, *L™?f row ° ften or to what ° ther distnct he may remove. tj. {or inßtance , l_,-f„i5 c - btered for *"« North Auck- ♦ •£, -I*-*' and subsequen.lv removes to the Bluff wit-oat notifying "his change ot address as directed by the Statute, the lot may fail on him in any ballot *&at is taken to make good a shortage occurring in the quota for the North rT_and die tr«ct- The excuse that he had changed his place of residence and i was not aware that the lot had fallen on him in the district in which he formerly lived will be of no avail, and he may be called -upon to stand his trial on a charge of desertion, -which is an oifence puni, *, a ble on indictment before a civil court by for a term not exceeding £ye years. As an alternative it may be dealt with as a military offence by court-martial. THE ENROLMENT MESH. -f-n 1 ".* 11 /. th ° envolm ent mesh is drawn still tighter by the provision which renders any person liable, on mimmary con- I TMtron, to a fine not exceeding £50, who, naraig __. his or her possession any information relative to the circumstances of a man who is or may reasonably be supposed to be of military age, or which may be of use in enabling any such man to be found, refuses to disclose such mlormation on a request from the Government Statistician or a constable oi -~£?; X °r? Cer - Tho Act specifically direct* the Government Statistician, if m doubt as to whether a man is a Reservist or not. to enrol him in the Reserve, and, if _, doubt __ to whether I a man belongs to the first or second 11 iiv.8.oii of the Reserve, to enrol him in the first division.