Notes and Comments.

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3279, 29 June 1917, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

The Second Division. Now that tho Defence Minister has made it clear that ho is .preparing to draw upon the. Second Division (married men) to make up successive rein forccments —thus making it clear that Mr. Massey has bound us completely and Tiulinutcdly to tho British Wai ■Offico for the supply of men—it is to be hoped that members of Parliament will see to" it that the Defence Department is forced to thoroughly comb every section of the community for .single, eligible men. The Defence Department itself should be fine-tooth combed. It has its eligible bachelors, from Commandant Robin downwards. It has its high officers and officials in 'our camps who have not fleshed their blades in actual warfare yet. It has yoitng men cumbering the various offices—Base Records, headquarters, instructional, areas, stores, commissariat, messenger, and other branches. Comb them aIV out, no matter how highly or lowly placed.,

Comb Them from the Country. And then in every city aud town 111 the Dominion there arc many other i/irst Division mon who havo managed to cvado service. "Turned down, by tile doctor" is tho tag said to be attached to these men. But that was months and months ago. They shouid o-o sent into camp for treatment and close observation. A minor surgical operation and a little medical treatment Avoukl make the great majority of these men. fighting fit. in Palinerstoii the police aro now taking the first step towards this combing out. A likely looking man is bailed up and asked to produce his registration papers. If lie has not got it, he goes to the post office under escort and gets his paper. If there is no paper for him and his explanation is not satisfactory, he is liable to arrest—without any option. Apart from these men. there are the linkers in the far-back places, always moving on, evading the eye of the comber—because they have uot registered or else after doing so they have taken to flight: gone, left no address. The general public and the farmer Avhose sons are at tho war and whose neighbour's sons aro still shirking aro alike convinced that there arc still many slackers in the land. They should be combed out before the married in-en are called.

Military Board's Attitude. This very important subject came sup for brief discussion at the sittiiig-ol tiio Military Service Board in Palnierstoii yesterday. Mr. David McLaren did not mince his words in protesting against the Defence Department's lack of efficiency in gripping men and nutting them into camp. Whilst farmers, business men, and family men were makiii'f sacrifices, there was a

great-responsibility upon the Defence Department in getting hold of shirkers, lie knew of cases of men -who had been drawn in the ballot two or three months ago, and had not been called up. The Board was anxious to get men lor active service, but unless the department set an example l , some of the value of their work would be lost. Captain Walker replied that it was quite possible that men went from one place toanother, and could not be traced. There were some notorious cases in this district. The police have had these cases in hand, and had not been able to locate the men. They may have got away from the Dominion to Australia.

A Penalty Suggested. But the matter was taken a step further than mere exchanges of words. Mr. McLaren said that this matter required every investigation. He would not make this statement unless he had good reason. Mr. D. G. A. Cooper (the chairman) endorsed what Mr. McLaren had said. Then Captain Walker (who is a lawyer, representing the Defence Department) took tho matter a stei> further. Ho thought the most drastic steps should be taken by Parliament in the case of deserters, and legislation should bo passed forfeiting the property of all deserters. The public would bo behind the Government in this action, and it would no doubt stop a good deal oi' what was going on in this way. These deserters may have been helped by other people, who were against conscription themselves. Captain Walker said he would forward the Board's representation to the Defence Department, and if supplied with tho names of any men referred to he would send them on also. Mr. McLaren: "If T supply the names, I am not going to bo put off with an excuse. Whilst we arc sending men away with responsibilities, young men should not be allowed to evade their duty." Captain Walker quite agreed. When representative men such as these, who for many months have been recruiting; come to such conclusions, surely Cabinet and Parliament shoiild sit up and take notice! Comb out the Shirkers I