DUTY TO ENROL

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13658, 29 August 1916, Page 4

DUTY TO ENROL

FIRST STEPS IN COMPULSION.

GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN'S WORK .DESCRIBED.

| ELLINGTON; Augusts. In. a few days > the Dominion will be, welkplacarded with red and black:posters, calling the .attention, of every .man of military age to the fact that' the onus is upon him to enrol in the Expeditionary Force Reserve, , and detailing what is expected 'of him, The pleading tones of the'" Have You Sixteen Shillings?" poster, advertising the war cer ; l-tifieate scheme, are not v to be found in the latest piece of Government advertising on a. gigantic scale. The actual display of the poster is the subject of a Compulsory regulation, and in its derails the favourite governmental, word "may" lias had to give Way to imperative, "must," underlined. Note % changed tone of the official proclamation, indicated in some of the prominent lines:—'

"REMEMBER! It is your DUTY to enrol."

"REMEMBER! You MUST, do your' duty," "Enrolled men have the r chanee of the'ballot." . -■• , ; v

" Men not. enrolled may be sent*; straight into camp." •.' '' Employers ; are FORBIDDEN.' TO'. EMPLOY men who are not enrolled." *

"Men wljo fail-to, notify, change.of 1 address: may become lia.blc to •-. a : CtfABGE W .DESERTION;,;'. . iyV And, as if to show that;-there ire; tb; be absolutely no "beg .pardons" over the' operation of the system v for, com-' pletingi.the; enrolment of> 'tionary-Force -BesSffe', the'pos).?rslib"ea'r the final announcement • In' large type, enclosed in .a --'special" black panel: "ONUS OF 'PfyOOlMn every-case'is ON THE DEFENDANT. " Exemption Tribunals, • The. Minister' of Defence: informed a representative, of the Lyttelton, Times)' to-day that it will be necessary to-set ; up the Military Service Boards-immedi-ately on the completion of enrolmentson September ]O. ; so as to, bring into operation, • Clause 35 of the Actjunder' which' large families of- sons;will have to appear before' these tribunals to: show' cause -, why- some 1 of; thenushould not become members of the ary Force. The Minister'spoke appreciatively of the way in which-all de-, partments of the-public service are cooperating with the Defence Department to bring the compulsory: system into operation, and added that a very thorough scheme of advertising . will. soon bring, the provisions of the Military Service Act-under the notice'of every man of military age. ■ ••• ••* Enrolment - Scbenpe Described. , 'The. campaign which will start on September. Ist has the,object of completing the' work started' by the War Census; of .last year. Men who sentv # their-cards at' that, time are enrolled in the' Expeditionary: Force 1 Reserve, and they need not forward another; card, as this will- canse confusion; Ho.wever,'as' the posters emphatically declare,; the .onus is on the citizen4o make'sure/and the.schemc provides an easy; jay of doing so. It will be every mai '.i ,duty to call at the local post office during, the busy fortnight following September Ist, If the individual-has not been included in the first War Census,he will be asked J. by.the postmaster to fill in a card.similar to that of: the'-'origina) ■ census,;.ant] apply ; for a certificate of enrolment..'' : The man whp }s already enrolled -must 1 also pay a visit to: the post'office and. fill in an application, for a eertifi<;ate of Enrolment, This -includes' a direction as to tho post offico where it! will be mo'st convenient, for the'applicant to call for the certificate when ! prepared;in Wellington. Great 'stress''s laid ; , upon the necessity of personal application for this, certificate. -, The reason is that when the Reservo is enrolled' the police and military, wi]] . be/entitled to demand the production-of the proof of enrolment from any person, The, certificate, the size of the average cheque, bears the owner 's, signature, awnf.;anyone has suspicions regarding:tWowne'rship of a- certificate'prodyc.e.d: by any,, individual, tlie'la^^.ea^lj^, 'asked to' wiit,o;liiß name, ' Cqiriparlioii '■vj'ith l - the signature 011 the certificate should solve any : ;donbts ope" way or,the. other,' while. there will' be I 'another check, jf.j necessary,, in the sample signature re*'- 1 talned by the post- office as a receipt for.'! the : document, and' sent to headquarters for filing, ' Y'. ; .-- Y

i If.'one is already enrolled tliis' appli'cation.is necessary,"ns it v not. only'protects the holder'but . informs the. Govcrnmeidt Statistician of the correct-ad-dress. > The-notification : of any 'change of-address will remain! a. constant duty, former of militarr age till- the war-iV fly?!'? "•. ' -V '

. ' f BP* Clencal. . Hie clerical work associated with the enrolment- must be thewhole of the top floor of one Of Wellington's largest, office blocks; has .been' 1 taken for the Government. Statistician's special Btaff. It is anticipated that over two hundred thousand applications for certificates'; of enrolment; will; pour,.into the top floor office within.» &W pf the first of W!w fji!s ijeps p 9 mere physical Wflflt happened-witji 'the former'census. Ten sacks of .forms earae into the office; on. the - a venge .each day. * Special envelopes had been circulated, w that tb« opening process lyould be easy,- ' All that 1 the.boys„ha(j;t6 to toftm fllSWlv tl|ierwoA.' f : Thtfs,-yjjen'Smitii .it . Auckland; fill? in .his application for i permit, he should not' look! up ; the nail a fid !n?!, a WHpf ir.t-kw 'ta there wt]| fr-. at liwt ii hpr people- {ilsn waiting till; their applMtions can be,, deified,. "checked willHiig foymrr .epivflua one' has been tilled ln-and the. certificate. made 0 ap.Q ' lC for ..the Census office/',to hol4:a | a ree'eipty «d a third which will go to the printer as.part'of tlic copy of the Dominion's 801 l of tho jvxpeditionary Force ftesorve.' Tt will nisi) SPIIII nut R sciipdiOp ot certificates to tfie Thus, ■lor convenieflce schpduV-ifill vyait- till ~v fair number of .certificates, is ready, This sliquld jint- cause lueonveniencc to the -applicant, because he will tiwl In iln nlliflpiit wait until' receiving \ notification • from the ' Government .Statistician as follows—"A certificate of enrolment in the • Mir Zealand -Expeditionary. Force Reserve created undor the above Acthas this:day been posted to the postmaster at—.. :It will be handed to pi lliw !R fl|fi.c(iiirspia''4ftjUf. two on your applying fot-lt personally and presenting,, this adViee."■■■'*':• And then, vrith* th'e - certificate in'ihis. packet, the member of the Reserve can reel that-lie has done his duty, and await the call of the'country when, by Jo-fortnne of the ballot,it is-decreed Pi iMM M. U «l)J?nnid. : a reputntioiixfor^the'DomlniAn a citizen 1