MILITARY SERVICE ACT

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13659, 30 August 1916, Page 4

MILITARY SERVICE ACT

- ENROLMENT UP, THE RJSSBIW& (By Telegraph—Per favour of the Chairman of the Recruiting Hoard). The following statement by the Chairman of the Rec.rnitiug Board (the Rt. Hon. W. F. Masseyl relative to the. enrolment of the expeditionary Force Reserve, and the obligations'of men of military age and employers of labour, was telegraphed last night:--WELLINGTON, August 29. As already announced, the enrolment of the First and Second Divisions of the Expeditionary Force Reserve will be proclaimed on Friday, the. Ist September and Saturday, 2nd September, respectively. A period of fourteen days thereafter—namely, until Saturday, the lfirh September, is allowed by the Act to all men of military age who have not registered under the National Registration Act to become enrolled. Military age means not less than twenty rears ami under forty-six year?. This

applies equally to men who. have failed to register .and to those who had no opportunity to do so through not being res'ulent in the ljomiiiioii when the National Register was taken. Application for Enrolment. The Act also directs every man who hereafter becomes a. member of the Reserve'either by attaining the age of twenty years or by becoming a resident in New Zealand, or : in any other manner, to make application for enrolment within fourteen day? of becoming a member of the Reserve. All applications for enrolment must be sent through the post by registered letter to the Government Statistician, who will thereupon make the necessary additions to, the distri'-t registers affected. Addressed and stamped envelopes will be obtainable at every post office for this purpose. Responsibility of Reservists. On ami after Friday,, the Ist tember, a vigorous publicity campaign by means of advertisements, posters, placards, and lantern slides "will be condiluted during the' enrolment period, in order to bring home to Hie men concerned, as well as to all employers of labour, [he obligations imposed on them by law. It has already been made abundantly clear that the roll is the only instrument by which the compulsory provisions of the Act can be enforced; therefore, every man of military age most be on the roll if that compulsion is to operate with justice and fairness to all, and particularly to those, who have loyally done their duty by registering. It' should never be forgotten that the absence of every man who should he

n the Reserve increases, the- chances o

the enrolled men being called np for service whenever a ballot is taken. The legislature has made very complete pro-

isinn in the Act to ensure a complete

roll, anil these stringent measures, quite apart from that additional check resulting from the work of local recruiting 'committees, justify the prediction that no man will he able to escape his obligation to the state in the present great

•risis. - It can be stated with equal fer-

tility that it will not pay and may to ittempt' to evade enrolment, or to neglect to notify any change of abode for the purpose of escaping service, 'Failure or refusal to comply with the express directions of the, Act. entails «er-

ous consequences to the individual 01

ndividuals concerned, and this impor iant difference between the Xationa'

Registration Act' ahif'flie Military' Se vice Act should be carefully consider?

by any one who has failed to registei

ami imagines that because be lias so far not been proceeded against he. is. and will be,' immune from prosecution under the Military Service Act. Whereas the National Registration Act threw the onus on the Government Statistician of proving that a man did not register, the Military Service Act specifically throw? on the individual the onus of proving- that lie did register, or in cases where the proceeding? are taken against an employer, for continuing to employ a man who is not enrolled,'the onus is on the employer, of proving that lie or she had reasonable grounds for believing that his or her employee was enrolled,

Constitution of the Reserve,

The Reserve consists of every male British subject of military age resident in New Zealand, excepting members of the Expeditionary Force and soldiers who have been discharged from such force in conseriuence of disablement or ill health, after serving beyond the seas in that force, For instance, members of the first Bamoan Force or of the Main Expeditionary Force, who have been discharged at their own request and members of the .Expeditionary Force discharged either in the Dominion or abroad because of their refusal to be inocciilated or vaccinated, must enrol in .the Reserve. Every man who is required to enrol should, therefore think well before he fails or refuses to comply with the precise and clear directions of ihe Ad. because, in addition to the substantial penalties to which he thereby render? himself liable, he can on conviction for this idt'ence. be called up forthwith for service in the Kipeditionarv Force without having any chance Of'the luck of the ballot. He will simply lintl himself enrolled as n member of the force without further option.

Certificate of Enrolment, The Government statistician is preparing a certificate of enrolment under the Military Service Act in order to provide every man ol military age with a ready proof that he is in the Reserve. This certificate will be issued only on application by each reservist. Applications addressed to the Government Statistician will be obtainable at every post office in Ihe fiominiori, and the i-evtih'cate will be forwarded a? soon as practicable thereafter to the postmaster for personal delivery to the reservist. This .lerlihVate. should be carefully preserved and should always he in the personal keeping of the individual whose name it bears, for this important reason: The Act empowers a constable to stop and question any man who may reasonably be supposed to be of military age as to any matter relevant to his membership of the Reserve, and the production of his certificate of enrolment will be a sufficient answer by every man so questioned. Responsibilities of Employers.

Itefereiice, has already been mink' to tin 1 responsibility of employers of labour, with respecl In enrolment. One

ill' the most important provisions in the Ac! in this connection is the section which prevents any man of military Hnc rood vino, or eoiitimuiig in employment in the Dominion unless he is able to prove that he is enrolled in Hie Reserve. Here ajain the production of his certificate will be sufficient proof of enrolment. This seel ion makes, every emplover of labour of any kind whatsoever, who. after the enrolment of the Reserve has been 'proclaimed, RDgajjes in his or her service or continues in his or her employment for more than seven ibiv-. n man who "honld be. but is not, enroJled therein. ;;uilty of an ofaire punishable on summary conviction by h line of nut less than Dj nor more flian f.K'O. The widesi publicity will be given to the grave responsibility of employer* ami lo the onus whicli is cast upoii llu'Jii uJ' 'atl'isfjing them-

selves by the production of the certificate of enrolment that ■.every man they engage or : employ isX-properly enrolled in the Reserve.

As the preparation of between '200,00(1 and HOil.Oflfi certificates 'u involved it will be some little time before.(bey can all be forwarded to reservists, but due

notice will be given through the press to alhemployers so soon as these certificates are ready for issue, and thereafter any employer who engages or employs a reservist without satisfying himself that such reservist is enrolled, will rlo sn at the risk of the heavy penalties provided in the Act.

Severe penalties {including a term of imprisonment'not exceeding three motithsj will also .be imposed on any person who employs or reteahis in his or her service a man who has deserted or (S absent without leave from the Expeditionary Force. Here again the onus is on the employer to prove, that he or she did not know that the man so employed or retained in service was a deserter or absent without leave, Changes of Address, But in addition to the foregoiug provisions dealing with enrolment, the Act lias definite instructions with respect to changes of address after enrolment. New Zealand is noted for the migratory character of its people, and needless to say, therefore, the number of men,who are affected by this section of the Act constitute quite an army in themselves. It is the duty of every man who has changed his abode since furnishing his personal schedule under the National Registration Act or who changes his abode after enrolment' in the ttcserve, to himself notify the Go\'eminent' Statistician of such change of address by registered letter, A registered letter form, fully addressed aud stamped, will be available on and after Ist September at every post office in the Dominion for; this purpose. This notification must be sent before Saturday, .the .Kith September, in the first case, or within fourteen days; of changing his abode in the second in-' stance. Liability to a .iihe not exceeding. £2O for failure to do so is the direct penalty imposed by the Act, but neglect of this 'dtity'inay and in any case will entail •mvich more serious consequences. As has'already'been stated the .district registers will be finally closed fourteen days after the gazetting of the enrolment of the' Reserve—namely, on Batur-

lay, the Kith of September. Every man

will remain on the district register in which his name appears at that, date,

iii) matter Jkivt often or to what other district lie may remove. If, for instance, a mail is, registered for tin l North. Auckland district.:find subsequently removes to the. Bluff without notifying his change of address as directed by the statute the lot may fall on him in iiny ballot that is taken to -make jjOoil a shortage occurring in the quota fm; the North Auckland IWstrict. His* inline will thereupon be gazetted as one if tiie men in that particular district

on whom, tin; lot has fallen, and a registered letter will be addressed to his last -known place of abode, advising him of the fact. If he then fails to present himself for service at the time'and place notified, the excuse that he had changed his place of residence, and was not aware that the lot had fallen on him in the district in which lie. formerly lived, will be of no avail, and he may.be call-

Ed upon tn stand his trial on a charge of desertion, which is an offence punishable on indictment before -si civil court by imprisonment for a term not 'exceeding live years. As an alternative, it may be dealt with as a military offence by court-martial. ' Oenwal Provisions, finally the. enrolment mesh is drawn still tighter by. the provision which renders any person liable, "on summary, conviction, to' a fine not exceeding £SO. who, having in his;or her possession any

information relative to' the circumstances'of a man who is, or may reasonably be supposed to be of military age, or which may be of use in enabling any such man to be found, refuses to disclose such information on a request from the Government Statistician, or a constable, or a Defence officer. It is to the interest of every man of military age, and particularly of the married men. to furnish the fullest particulars with respect to himself and his family,

because the Act spccihVially directs the Government Statistician, .if in doubtas to whether « man is a. reservist or not, to enrol liim hi the Reserve, and if

i) donbt as to whether a man belon

to the First or Second Division of the Reserve to enrol him in the First Division thereof.

Further Details to be Announced. A further statement will be prepared ex-plaining exactly in. what, manner the compulsory provisions of Hie Military Service. Act will be brought into operation whenever and wherever the necessity arises for it, 'lf must always be remembered that the- decision as to whether the voluntary system is to continue, or is to be superseded, or supplemented by compulsion, is left entirely ;to the men of military age in the several; recruiting districts of the Dominion.