"COMBING OUT" FIRST DIVISION.

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 155, 3 July 1917, Page 6

"COMBING OUT" FIRST DIVISION.

SECOND DTVISION ROLL

(Nelson Colonist Correspondent). . WELLINGTON, June 30. Men of military age in New Zealand who have not yet donned khaki would be well advised to carry with "them, on all occasions, the slip of paper which proved that they have xegisterod under the Military Service :Act. The, authorities will shortly begin to round up the unregistered I>y means £>f examination of crowds of :jnen at places of public resort, so that to avoid an awkward situation, .in which the police'will figure, reser-

vists should carry their certificate of •enrolment. • 'The whole of the remaining First [Division men are to be thrown into one roll for the remaining ballots. The practice has been to draw from the 21 military districts separately, but a stage has been reached when this is impracticable. It is also intended to ignore military districts in the Second Division roll." There will have to be five classes, and the Government Statistician cannot face the -complication of further 21 subdivisions. . . Strict "combing out" of the First 'Division is beginning. There are large numbers of cases which had fceen adjourned sine die by the Mili--fcary Service Boards. These are all ,to come up for review shortly y and a ■still more important step is the reexamination of the medical papers of -about 50,000 men who have been turned down as medically unfit, being: placed in the C 2 class. A special Medical Board has been set up to ■classify these papers. It will be obvious from the papers that some of these men will never become fit for •service, but where this is not plain, . .the 'individuaj will again have, to submit to examination, with a greater ■chance of passing than a few months . ' ago, when the medical standard was made very rigid. The National Efficiency Board has prepared a revised list of essential industries, also 3b list oj unessential ones, with a view of assistingvthe'Military Service ißoards in the severe "combing but"., process to begin almost immediately. In the post offices next week will /appear notices to Second Division reservists, advising; them to acquaint the Government Statistician of any change in their status since the filling in of the National Register card. It is promised to settle the classification of Second Division men at the end of July, and not to make further alterations. If, through an increase in the number of his family, the reservist becomes entitled to~ enter a later class, he. can appeal to the Military Service Board, in case he is called-up in the ballot., , A careful survey of New Zealand's man power has led the authorities to .believe that with severe "combing {out" of the industries, and substitu* ting of women for men, wherever possible, New Zealand, will be able to Keep up an undiminished supply of reinforcements for fifteen months, without altering the military age f limit. Before this time, it is hoped, the war will be over