MARRIED MEN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17699, 28 January 1918, Page 4

MARRIED MEN.

THE NEXT BALLOT'

REASONS FOR. DELAY

[From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, January 26

It will prpbably be April, or even later, before the Government Statistician will be called upon by the Minister of Defence to select from Class B (married men with one child), a batch of recruits for the reinforcements. Two reductions in the quota of monthly drafts have enubled the authorities to manage well out of tho Class A selections, and as the Minister indicated some time ago, there will be a gap between the ballots.

The important quostion arose, in calling up the married men with children, whether it was wise to unsettle men six - months ahead of their going into camp, or to give them the promised three months between the medical examination and the call to duty. It was felt by the Minister of Defence that while the Class 15 men will, as a matter of prudence, make arrangements for the eventuality, it would be very unsettling to several thousands of them to get a definite order to go into camp, say in August or September, when—let’ it be hoped—they might never be wanted. So the authorities, though not sanguine about tbe arrival of peace, are going to leave the ballot until the last moment, so long as the men called up obtain three clear months’ notice after the medical examination.