MILITARY SERVICE ACT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17249, 17 August 1916, Page 6

MILITARY SERVICE ACT.

Tub enrolment of the Expeditionary Force Reserve, which is the first step towards putting into operation the Military Service Act of last session, is a necessary precautionary measure. The law is oil the Statute Book and it would be folly to delay the preliminary arrangements under it until a crisis in recruiting had actually occurred. The Act is designed for use, and the compilation of the Register is necessary whether the compulsovy clauses are to be made operative or not. The enrolment itself, of course, is a measure supplementary to the National Register of last year, and’ only those who have failed to make returns under the National Registration scheme or who have attained the age of twenty years since the returns under the Register became due, will lie required to take any action in the matter. Once the enrolment is gazetted, however, the whole of the machinery of tho Military Service Act can be brought into operation. The very widest powers are conferred upon the Governor. Once the first step of enrolment of the First Division is authorised, the Governor may at any time order the enrolment of the Second Division, and this provision' may be utilised, apparently, to secure practically the simultaneous enrolment of both divisions. At any time after enrolment of the two divisions the Minister of Defence may call up from either division any number of men he thinks necessary. Tho'Hon J. Allen hag made ib quite clear that he is not going to wait for a shortage of men immediately required before exercising his powers under the Act. Ho proposes first to put into operation the special provision of the Act calling up two or more brothers, members of the hirst Division, in any family, without ballot, after which any district Avliich lias not recruits available for “ two or three Reinforcements ahead of immediate requirements” may expect to find itself subjected to the ballot. If the Minister s phrase means that there must be u reasonable surplus of recruits available over and above those drafted into camp at any given date, the condition is being complied Avith throughout the Dominion, and no district is threatened at tho present moment. It must be remembered, however, that recruiting has been very slack in this and- other districts for several weeks past, and that the quotas are only being filled by reason of the boom in recruiting which occurred a few’ months ago. In these circumstances the advice of the Minister, that the best safeguard against compulsion is prompt voluntary enlistment. should be well pondered by the eligible men who have so far abstained from visiting the Recruiting Office. In some quarters, we learn, there is a disposition to allow voluntary recruiting to languish, in the expectation that an early resort will be mnd'e to compulsion, but w’C hope that that particular attitude will receive oio encouragement. It should be the earnest endeavour of every district- to fill its monthly quota with volunteers until the call ceases.