SECOND DIVISION.

Bruce Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 72, 13 September 1917, Page 3

SECOND DIVISION.

FIRST BALLOT NEXT MONTH. MEN ENTER CAMP ABOUT JANUARY. „ Interesting information a"bout the calling up of the first draft of the Second Division was given hy the Defence Minister '(Sir James Allen) in the House of Representatives in reply to questions (says the Star's -Wellington correspondent). Asked if information could be given as to when the Second Division would be balloted for and called in to camp (which many reservists desired to know, because they had a great deal of responsibility and wanted to fix up their affairs before going to the front), the Minister replied that it was difficult to give definite information, but so far as he could judge the first draft of the Second Division would certainly not be called to camp before December; he hoped not before January. He was devising a scheme to have Second Division men medically examined earlier than had been the custom with the First Division men, hut t ; here were technical ■difficulties which, however, he hoped to overcome. It was proposed that the Second Division ballots should i be< taken a month. earlier in order to give the men a month longer before being called into camp. The rule now was that First Division men should be given two months' notice, but it had not always been possible to observe this rule, owing to shortage in camp. Ho hoped that after the combing out of CI and C2 men enough First Division men would be found to supply all requirements up till December. This would mean that the Second Division would be called into camp in January; and in order to give the men three months' notice the first ballot of the Second Division would be taken in October.

DEMANDS BROUGHT BEFORE THE MINISTER. LEGISLATION PROBABLE. Another statement- about the Second Division was made in the House to-day by the Minister" for Defence. The matter was raised by Mr Veiteh, wiio read the following telegram from Wangamii: "Second Division. League here understands Class A of Second Division balloted for next month. Urgently insists on legislation being passed on the line of the league's proposals before the ballot, also immediate arrangements for medical examinations. " Mr Veiteh said that the message showed that there was some anxiety on this matter, and he would be glad if the Minister would make a statement. Mr Allen said he had seen two members of the league the preceding afternoon. They had seen him "before to make a request that members of the Second Division should be examined before the ballot. This proposal was carefully examined, but it had been found that this could not be done in accordance with the law. He had informed the members of the league that he was anxious to give as much time as possible between the ballot and' the time of calling into camp, and that the best he could do for the Second Division men was to increase this period from two mouths to three months. In order to do this it would be necessary ! to have a' ballot of the Second Division in October, and the men drawn would go into camp in January. The league representatives were not altogether satisfied with this, because they still clung to the idea that they could get the medical examination before the ballot, but he was sorry to say this could not be done. Whether legislation would be put through rested with the Government and with Parliament. The legislation asked for was an amendment of the Pensions Act. The Government had not yet decided what should be done, and the 'Bill was not therefore before the House, hut he hoped the Bill would be through Parliament before the end of September. The Government would deal with the matter at an early date, and he hoped that soon afterwards the House would be asked to deal with it.