FILLING SHORTAGES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue 13047, 10 January 1917, Page 4

FILLING SHORTAGES.

PROCESS OF THE BALLOT.

QUICKENING UP METHODS

(Special to the Oamaru'Mailv)

Wellington. January 9: . When the first 'ballot'.'for mfon- to. fill shortages in the reinforcement drafts took place the process occupied two days, and the preparation- of the Tollof selected. men another four days, A this time, the,.eighty thousand men in' the. firsj- division of the Expeditionary Force Reserve must, have been on, ten-ter-hooks, wondering, whether they, -jvould be called. -Now, owing to improvements and a. general quickening up of the operations, this stage of tension is reduced to a few days. The names of men wliose cards turn lip to"day in the ballot for the 26th Reinforcement draft shortages should be known by Thursday evening. Every military district- except- Nelson and Bay of Plenty figured in., the present bailot. Arfckland came in for the firssrt time with a shortage of 132, and thrice that number of names had to be pulled to make sure of getting the full quota- The Military Service Boards know that the exemption: of one man means three more to be drawn in the ballot-,' which.is one reason for their conservative exercise of the power of exemption. It has been assumed thiit shortages for ahV draft- which the ballot failed to fill 'because of exemptions, would load up the subsequent ballot, •but I am officially assured that- the ballot- for 3600 names for the 26th will not provide for the gaps, if any, in the earlier drafts.

The Government proposes the regulations of controlling the ballot procedure so as to permit the Government. Statistician to reduce' the number of cards in each box. The present ballot .isbeing conducted; with -173 boxes, each containing 500 cards, iibout ten per cent, of which are blanks. After each ballot, the- blanks which are put in /when a '•lire'-' card-is turned;'up by the process of-the lot- are taken- out, but it.-is not-intended to reduce further the number d? boxes-.- These will remain at I"3', giving (except for-the. chance of blanks turning up) it- fair chance of drawing 173 names spin- of the fateful' drum. Under presenfrregulatiions, each drawer must- hjrt'e "five hundred cards ;in it, But new regulations will permit the Government ; (Statistician '■ to place a lesser number in eacli box, so Long as every box has the sa.me number' of cards wherr a-ballot takes place/ When the cai-ds' are turned up, they' go to ail adjoining room-where three copies are made of the reservist's name, age, ad.- , dress-, and occupation. One card is tained by the superintending magistrate, another goes to the; Government Printer, so-that the compilation' of the Gazette may.' proceed without delajv arid third is sent to Base Records, which cheeks for enlistments or deaths. Fifteen typists are employi»d nr. the work, and responsible officers mv a>ways in the room so as to .deal with doubtful points regarding names or-addresses.