MILITARY SERVICE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14074, 18 August 1916, Page 5

MILITARY SERVICE.

ADMINISTRATION OP'tHB. ACT.

(Special to the H^erald.) WELLINGTON, this day. j The following, statement is made by the Chairman of the Recruiting Board :— - The Military Service' Act provides for, both civil and military processes, and m the cir/umstinees/the Cabinet has deemed it desirable that there shmtld be a uniform controlling authority. ■ The administration of the Act,, therefore, so. far as -concerns all matters m respect to which the statute does not give a specific direction, has' been placed under the control of the Recruiting Board. I have now to announce , that it has_been decided to proclaim, the enrolment of the first division of the expeditionary forco jeserye on Friday,. Ist September, 1916. "and of the second division on the , day following",: namely, Saturday", ; the 2nd September, 1916, In the, case, of each division, a; period , of ; fourteen, days thereafter is allowed byjhe Act to allow men of military age. (not less than 20 and under.: QQiyesetg? oi age) rwb; hays not registered untfer the; National Registration AcV to enrol under the Military Service Act/ or to men who have changed their place of abode since registration to notify i iWv rieti-tfddress. It has been found /necessary to proclaim the enrolment- of" botH "divisions' 'of 'the reserve simultaneously m order to proteat the,men,_in..the second division. The Act erapowets any' constable, after ' the enrolment, of the first division, has been proclaimed, to question any man who may reasonably be supposed to be of military ag&jftira. to detain him if he is not Vatis'fifed ' '" Tvith his : v answer.' The Act "> also „ forbids and employer to Employ a reservist who is* not enrolled. For the protection cf leservi 4s. certificates of enrolment vili I -e_ issued on application to every man who is enrolled, and the production-- /•[ this certificate will be a sufficient ar^'ver to any (•cmsUihle, and a suffieieu proof to any employer of enrolment, Kih t!iis certificate rannot be. issued to -i man wlj.o belongs to the second di vision until the enrolment oi- that division Is proclaimed. Ifiriice. the necessity to proclaim both divisions so that <i\cvv man of military age may: receive this <?vidence of 'his' 'enrolment.. Tfc should 'be distinctly understood that while tho compulsory provisions of the Act will not be 'applied to tho soroml division of the reserve until th,e first division is exhausted, that fact does not relieve any man of military ago/ in either division of his obligation with respect to enrolment or notifying any change of addrts'*. Tlie firsi division consists of reservists who fire unmarriedi men, or, married men wh'nse marriage jook place since 15t, May. .1915, unl^s they have a child under 16' years of age by a previous '.-marxiage, or widowo-rs with no' childron under 16, or men who are divorced: orrj- judicially ■ separated- from their wives and who have i;o children under 16 years of age, and , the second \ division consists ot all other reservists. D-uringr" this enrolment period the widest publicity ."'•.villybe given to the obligations imposed by tho Act <>n reservists and employer.-?, by means >>i advertisement m all newspapers, and by posters, placards, iuul 'iantevn slides, the display of which will be -mnde coni- ' .pulsovv as a war Jiecessily by regulations' to be ipsued nndor lht> 'W'nv Kefulatkiuft Act. The board also intends <o issue. ?'». statement olonrly settini>- forth'-. the provisions of the with rtspoct, to tbb duties of resen-jsls and of employers, and tho penalties they\will incur if they' ' neglect or refuse to discharge these duties, lively man of military hge should litake H his pavlicular business to carefully read this -pt-ate* l ment^, '' as weil ;as Ihe ' adyprtisements or postal's and placards which- will appear on Friday, September 1 next, and sub-^ Boquentiy during the enrolment period.' The' Act has two main functions: 1 (v) the 'enrolment of. the reserve, and (b) the calling up of the reserve. It is proposed 1 to enrol the .reserve' -within-. the period stated* but there will be no calling 'up tihdeiv the Act so' long as voluntary recoutuig produces the niunber of men requirecl for 'e'Acli reinforcement draft.-r— W. M MASSEY, cJ'.ainnan.