ENROLMENT OF THE RESERVE

Southland Times, Issue 17829, 5 September 1916, Page 5

ENROLMENT OF THE RESERVE

CERTIFICATE SHOULD BE APPLIED FOB. tVe received the following message yesterday from the Chairman of the Recruitl-ngr Board: — • It is evident from the numerous inquiries that are reaching the. office of the Recruiting Board that a great number of men of military age are not at all cl£ar as to their position in connection with the enrolment of the expeditionary force reserve under the Military Service Act. In particular the importance of applying for a certificate of enrolment does not appear to be appreciated as it should be. The Act makes the National Register the basis of the expeditionary force reserve, and only directs men who have not registered under the National Registration Act to forward an enrolment card under the Military Service Act to the Government Statistician. The point, however, has been raised by many men, who duly forwarded their personal schedule under the National Registration Act, that they received no acknowledgment from the Government Statistician and therefore have no guarantee that they are enrolled. This has caused recruiting committees throughout the Dominion to publicly display the local rolls issued in connection with the Board’s recruiting scheme so that men of military age may inspect them and ascertain if they are registered but the Board wishes to emphasise the fact that the absence of a name does not necessarily mean that a man is not registered and that the surest and best method to verify registration is for every man, whether he belongs to the first division or to the second division of the reserve, to forward an application for a certificate of enrolment on the form that is obtainable at any and every post office. If his personal schedule failed to reach the Government Statistician and his name does not appear or. the National Register he will he promptly advised to that effect and asked to fill in an enrolment card under the Military Service Act. A man who sent in his schedule and now finds that his name docs not appear <on the local roll for his district, should not forward another card until he is advised by the Government Statistician on receipt of his application for a certificate of enrolment that it is necessary to do so, otherwise there is always a danger that his name may appear twice on the roll of the reserve, and thus double his chance in the ballot. It is necessary for men who forward an enrolment card to apply ' at the same time for a certificate of enrolment, although the Act imposes no duty with respect to these certificates of enrolment. It is absolutely imperative that each reservist, whether of the first or second division, should for his own protection have one always in his possession. This certificate is proof of enrolment, and is the only method by which an employer can be satisfied that the men of military age in his or her employ are enrolled in the reserve. On this point every employer must be satisfied or risk the heavy penalties imposed by the Act. The production of the certificate will also satisfy any constable who accosts a man who may reasonably be, supposed to be of military age. The of the certificate of enrolment should therefore be obvious.