AN UNFINISHED TASK.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2788, 5 June 1916, Page 8

AN UNFINISHED TASK.

THE'NATIONAL REGISTER. Sir, —In your able leader of this morning, you very well point out the irregularities tlvat'have arisen 'through the hapliazard_ system .of compiling, the Register, but,' sir, nobody with tho facts before them hoped for a complete roll. Under the present Bill, as it stands, there are some loopholes through which it will be possible to get, for those who do not want to be enforced into military service. It would have been far easier if the Government had included in the provisions, of the Bill soma simple provision to enable credited officers of tlie State to cliallengo every man who seems to bo of military age.

Working from the quota system, and the Register, point .of view, "it is likely to cause a lot of injustice. Men who did fill in their papers are, perhaps, shifted into another district. Indeed, I believe the National Register, to be complete, would have to be all done over again. Anyone who has had any experience of this sort of work will know the difficulty of enrolment. . It seems utter folly on tho part of the Government to rely on tho. part of well-meaning citizens to undertake this work. > Only public servants of the State armed 'with authority, will be able to make .any headway, and even then' it will -be found that some will be able to evade it. Dan O'Connell made tho boast that he. could drive a coaoli nnd four through any-Act of Parliament.. I wonder what lie would have said on tho present. Military Service Bill and. National Register of New Zealand? The enstest way to make the Bill cover all would be to do away with the quota system as applied to districts, and also to _ drop the National, Registor, and; appoint x men under proper supervision to enroll every man of military age. . Also employers of labour should be compelled to state how many men of military age they employ. The present' Labour Department ' could do a great. deal in this direction. - This would save a lot of valuable timo that is likely to be uselessly, spoilt in working from the Regi/iter, as it will not get the men intended to bo enrolled at once.—l am, etc., THOS. M. MI-LLIGAN. June 2, 1916.