MILITARY SERVICE ACT

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13651, 19 August 1916, Page 6

MILITARY SERVICE ACT

PROCLAIMING ENROLMENT OF RESERVES. . )-' . OBLIGATIONS OF KLIGIBLES. (By Telegraph.) The following statement regarding the initial operations of the Military Service Aot lias benn issued liy Ihe Recruiting Board:— The Military Service Act provides for both civil and military processes, and in tho circumstances Cabinet lias deemed it desirable that there should be a uniform 1 controlling authority,.. The administration,of the Act therefore, so far as concerns all matters in respect to which Statute does not give a specific direction, has been placed .under the control of the Recruiting Board. I have now to announco that it. * has been decided to proclaim the enrolment of. the First Division of the Expeditionary Reserve; on Fri- ' day, Ist September, 1916, and of the Second Division on the day following, viz., Saturday the 2nd September, 1916. In .the case of each division a period of fourteen days .. thereafter is allowed by 'the Act to all men of military age (not less '• than twenty, and ..under- iforty-six years of age) who have -hot registered under the National Registration Act, or to Mien • who have changed their place of abode since registration to notify their new addreses. It has been found necessary to proclaim the enrolment'' of both divisions of the reserve' siinultaneonsly in order., to protect men in the ;• Second Division, ' Tho Act empowers'any constable, after the enrolment of the Fjrst Division has been proclaimed, 'to .question any man who may reasonably be supposed to be of military . age, and to detain him 1 if he is not satisfied with his answers; The Act also forbids any employer to employ a reservist who is,not enrolled: For the protection of reservists, certificates of enrolment will be issued, on application, to every man who is enrolled and the production of this certificate will be a sufficient answer to any constable, and a sufficient proof to any employer,;of enrolment;, but this certificate cannot be isued to a man who belongs to the \ Second Division, until enrolment of that Division is proclaimed, hence the necessity to proclaim-both divisions, so that every m'an of mili'tary age may receive, this evidence of his enrolment. ■ It should be distinctly understood that while the compulsory,provisions of the Act mill not be applied to the Second Division of the reserve until ' the First.. Division is exhausted, • that fact does not relieve any man . of military age of his obligation with respect to enrolment, or of notify,any.change of address./. ] j The First Division consists of reservists who are unmarried men or married men whose marriage took place .since May 1, 1915, unless they have a child under sixteen years of age'by a previous marriage, or widowers with no children under sixteen, or men who are divorced or judicially separated from their wives and who have no children under six- • teen years of age. The Second Division consists of all other reservists,

I . During this enrolment period tho widest be given to the 'obligations imposed by the Act on reservists and employers .by means of advertisements in.all newspapers, and by posters, placards, and lantern slides, conspicuously displayed from end.to end of the Dominion. The 'display of these posters, placards, and Slides will be made'compulsory, as a war necessity, by regulations to be issued under the War Regulations Act, The Board also intends to issue a statement clearly setting forth the provisions of the Act with respect. to the duties of reservists and of employers, and the penalties |hey will incur if they neglect or refuse to discharge .these duties. \ Every man of military age should make it his .particular business to carefully read this statement, as well as the advertisements or posters and placards which will appear on Friday, September l next, and subsequently during the enrolment period. The Act has two main functions: (a) The enrolment of the reserve; and (b)- The calling.up of tho reserve It is proposed to enrol the reservo within the period stated, but there will be no. calling up under the Act so long as voluntary recruiting produces the number of men required for each reinforcement draft. \ W. F. MASSBY, Chairman. Wellington, . 18th August, 1916,