SECOND DIVISION BALLOT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1015, 7 November 1917, Page 5

SECOND DIVISION BALLOT.

(Special to "Standard.") WELLINGTON, Nov. 6. The next ballot under the Military Service Act "ill he taken three weeks hence, and it, is likely that the number of men to bo drawn from class A of the Second Division will be the same as in the, last ballot, that is, 5000, Four weeks later the men remaining in class A will be called up on bloc for medical examination, since they will not number much more than the required 5000. The married men will be supplemented i acli month by youths who have just, reached military age. by nineteen-year-old volunteers and by stragglers from the First Division, including men whose appeals at. present stand adjourned sine die by the Military Service Boards. The proportion of lit men to be secured from class A and the other classes of the Second Division remains to be revealed by the medical examinations. The indications are that the proportion will be high. It, is noticeable that the number of "starred" men in the first, draft of class A men is small. This means that, the class has not. been enlisting freely under the voluntary svstem, and so has not been drained ol any large number of its lit, men in advance of the ballot The proportion of exemptions to be allowed among the married men is another question. Probably it. will be higher than among the -ingle men, owing to the larger business responsibilities of the married men as a group.

The recruiting authorities are arranging that the medical examination of the Second Division recruits shall be conducted with a minimum of delay in all cases. Volunteers will have preference before the Medical Poards, ,but the balloted men will be called up in comparatively small bodies m order that thev may be handled promptly. Orhcers commanding districts have been, instructed to give the widest publicity to the itineraries of the Medical Boards, in order that recruits away from the centres may know when to present themselves for attestation and medical examination. It happens often that recruits, when appearing before the Military Medical Hoards, wish to bring forawrd some info'rma. tion given them bv their own doctors, or some medical evidence regarding their physieal condition. Recruits must bring medical certificates with them if they wish to bo heard in matters of this kind. Verbal statements arc iii>i sufficient,' and the man will not be entitled to re-examination on tho mere plea that they failed to place their evidence before the Board at the first, examination. It has been arranged, ag already announced, that Second Division Reservists are to have twelve, weeks' leave without pay after medical examination, before they are taken into camp. This privilege does not extend to First Division men who mav be called up with the married men. Tho First Division men in the twelfth ballot and subsequent ballots will be treated in every way similarly to the First Division men in previous ballot?. Thev will go into camp, unless they appeal, with the first draft leaving their group after fourteen days from the date of their medical examination.