THE UNFITS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2996, 6 February 1917, Page 6

THE UNFITS

. RJSCRUITING BOARD'S STATEMENT. The following statement, was issued by the .Recruiting Board yesterday:— "Recruiting for the Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth Reinforcements closed on Saturday, and a ballot is. now proceeding to make good the shortage. The total number'of voluntary enlistments for the Twenty-seventh draft was 1251, and for the Twenty-eighth draft 766, leaving a respective shortage of 922 and 1367 for the two Reinforcements. The total number required to be balloted for in order to allow the usual margin for exemptions and medical unfitness is 0867.

■'"It is expected that the Gazette con-' taining the lists of reservists on whom the lot has fallen will be ..published at the beginning of next week, and as announced previously the medical examination of all men so called up for ser r ' vice will be commenced forthwith. I wish the-men who are passed as unfit for active service to clearly understand that there is no need for them to appeal, or if they have already sent in an appeal that there is no need for them to pursue the appeal. They should at once withdraw their appeal and thus save their own. time as well as that of the Military Service Boards. A man who is passed as unfit will be transferred to the Home Section of the Expeditionary Force and will be given indefinite leave without pay, which means that he will be in a position to continue his ordinary civil life. If at any time men are wanted for home service a call will be made for .volunteers from those who have.heeit passed as unfit. I think this explanation is necessary as many men seem to be under the impression that though unfit for active service' their transfer to home service means that they are to be held bv the Defence authorities for service in New Zealand. That is not the intention at .present, because it is anticipated that all -the] unfit men who arc wanted for service in-the,camps and forts and Defence service in the Dominion will lio readily obtainable by voluntary enlistment.

"If at any time it should become necessary to compulsorily call up the men who are. now passed as unfit in order to use them for home service in the Dominion, the same right of appeal will be extended to them as is now given' to the, men who are nnssed as fit for active service with tlie"Expcditionary Force. \

_ "I also wish to repeat that the decision to ballot for the shortage in two ReinforccmcmtK this month is solely due to the fact that moro time is required between, the date of the ballot and the time when the men are duo in camp to commence training in which to medically examine the men ami lionr appeals, etc. At the present time only one month has been allowed for these things, but by the alteration now made two months will bo available."