THE MILITARY SERVICE ACT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1016, 8 November 1917, Page 7

THE MILITARY SERVICE ACT.

COMPULSORY CLAUSES (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON. Nov. 6. The Lsue of to-day's Gaze tie eontaininj.' the names of 15CC First Division men am! 5000 Second Division men eall< d for fo vice with the Expeditionary Foree.s niukei the total number'of men brought under th eompuhory clauses of the Military Sorvio Act 82,474. 'the first ballot was talon u November, 1916, jusi a year ago. Lonoidei ing the number of men handled the syslen has worked with remarkable smoothness A lew hundred men lam made difficulties, run the great ma■■:, of ihe reservists have ac cepted the decision of the ballot willinglj and ..-ood humou'redly Tin* officii* w\u have had the handling of the system I roil the first an- well pleaded with the re.,ult of theil' efforts, and they admit that ihe\ anticipated greater trouble ilnui they hav< actually mcountered. November l. The iwsition of the Second Division mei has been made clearer by a recruiting cir cular just. issued bv Defence Headquarters Voluntary enlistment is now confined tc nineteen-year-old youths (with the consent of their parents), t wenly-year-o d youth.' and classes A and B of tho Second Division The reservists with two or more ehildrei will not bo accepted as volunteers at pre sent The Director of Recruiting (< aptau I). Cossgrove) realises: that wine men pre f'er lo enter the forces as volunteers when their turn comes, and he will allow tin reservists of classes C and 1) an opnoiiimitj to offer their services before their classes are balloted. But he wants to deal with the married men of lighter domestic resensibilities before- he cu.L unon lb- moi with two, three, and four children each. • .APPROXIMATE DATES. The Director of Recruiting has prepared a table of dates tor the information ol Second Division men. '1 he lirst draft ol

married men (cla-s.-, A) is to enter camp on Murch 5 9 of next year, and the other drafts will follow at four-weekly intervals. The first draft of B men (one child) is likely to be mobilised on -May 28-Junc 1, and the first draft in class M men (two children) will probably be due on September 17-21. Each of these classes is expected to provide fou T "reinforcement drafts. 'lhe dates _for the classes are not.fixed definitely, and it is possible that thev will be set buck. They will not be advanced. The recruiting authorities have undertaken to,allow every married: mall twelve' weeks leave without pay, between the dato of his incdical examination ami the date of mobilisation. The reservist, who wishes.to enter camp as a volunteer will need to enlist before the first ballot iii his class. .