SELECTIVE SERVICE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29620, 16 September 1961, Page 10

SELECTIVE SERVICE

Legislation Soon

(Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, Sept. 15. Legislation to implement the registration of young men for the selective military’ service ballot will be introduced in the House of Representatives shortly, probably in the next fortnight. It will be brought down by the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand). The Minister of Defence (Mr Eyre) said that the registration of 19-year-olds will begin in mid-1962, and that training will commence late in 1962 and 1963. The decision to limit the intake to 2000 men yearly was made by the Cabinet, after consultations with senior military officers. The figure was reached as being the most that could be coped with under the present military establishment, and as being unlikely to seriously affect the manpower potential of the country. The origina’ recommendations, put forward from a purely military standpoint, were for an annual intake of between 10,000 and 12.000. The system to be adopted is that all 19-year-olds will be required to register, and will receive a medical examination. The medically fit men will be ballottecL. Mr Eyre said applications for exemption would be examined closely. In the case of' exemptions granted on academic or educational grounds, these would be deferments only. The men concerned would still be liable to serve their term of training when the time of deferment was past. •