THE NATIONAL SHORTAGE.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XVIIII, Issue 447, 15 November 1916, Page 1

THE NATIONAL SHORTAGE.

(Per i'ress Association.l \VK I. LIN (.'TON. Nov. I I. The national -linii lor the -Unl i Reinforcements i . ;>jJ. and for the j .Mill Itriiilor.-i-iin'iii , il is -> ; -"> It "ill ! L. necessary lor iiM* to he ballotied | lor this week in iiie lirst division, j Am-klaml. N< Loll, and Waneamii j ::r> the only ilinr districts where the ballot i- iii'.r required yet. Ilawke's Lav e.vapes hallot for the 'JoYd and ITranaki lor the -Mill. WKLLINCTON SIIOJLi'ACK. WT.LLIXiLJOX, Suv. IL i'lte YVelhir-ton quota '.'or the 'J3iil ReilllorCeluelil ■■: U'ellt. into i.imp i',:l flioil -hod. Pd>l I lON t)l'' TIIK OP.II'X'TOILS. I.ONC AILM OK TilK LAW. Snip, I in;.' dill tlie present Week, >:,ys ll.r Wellington ' I lomHtioll," pre i;,i,'\ on Tliursdu,\. the iir-l hallut | i;:ri,.; ihe .Mililarv Sen ice Aet will j ho taken, and Lei'efe the end of the month coiiipuisnrily enlisted recruits - !icii|.[ I. -;i i to reach the military oairp--. Tin Defence autiioi'itit's are ;:it\-,a,< t • cover the shortages as .pick.-, ■■■- pos-aMo. in order tlnit the no: !•■■.-. may he ".Lvn their full liei'io i of i rainiii'. and then lie icad> lo !,,.. ■. , Ni ■ Zv aland v. it'll the regular h \. !r ... , , .).;,• draits Tin' Twenty- ,.,:,; Li IL 0,:,.rc.-ieeiil,. to he mobilised M -;l '•■■... [! ' v, vek hctlllllillu oil Deeelll--1„ ; j i_ v. dl he a. fiili draft. >ince -uln- !■',•!■: e.eil Will liaVe Il00!l dl'aWll I l"i 'III I '■■,. ,!■■,: ee tn cover any delieiem y in M.ie.hieei,. Hut the existine, aoeuinuhii- ,i -.ici: !::_:,. as shown when the 'j';' . ',;v-;!.;rd !!■ inforcoineiie, mobilise ll.'V; Leek. l\ ill IeijIIIIV ti he wiped out Whai , ppe.-diioii. if any. is miine; t" he. , h -i ed to the op. ra; ion oi Lie oniii-pil'-el> Chill., -, ot the Act I' The '[!!'-- ;: 11.1 .-aiie el ihe a 11 - .'■ e r - indicate a : , i;. ; :'|'.| the ( . 0 e I 1111 nil i \\ ill ha\ e !,. ~'eai v. il.h a . ,-i-i.m-' nice' .er ..l re--e.:..-, L :- pa-0,:,. ;||;u ~on:e el the ■ : .' ! : ,' !,.v„ s'len-lhelled i" , ;.. ■ •'.' ode !.-..■ ; he m -ni: el I iie An-- • i. •• "i mi,-,, iellLolls ohjeelie -" ei one ..'.;..„.■'.• in": ~,' ~-p.'e, »i!i he -amda- ■ , :•.,. •. , . Lie ,\rm> head- in the !,' . : eiih' i.v'';he iJdita'rv , ~ur.-. Tiie e,|. ~; Lie cppnsitlen 01 N • " Z a- :,.! ...ii,,,,,!. he .cue ed h.v the reL-i- ---.■•■;.■■ ;:. iini'/C'i'.-al trainiii'j' in ihi- . .amir-, -mee ■..-car- ami. -.mce ipiii-- a nnm- ',,,, ~j ,he Vuli'ej men "ho -nh'e-el {lie .. ... hi; , veil imp) isollineii'. in '. -e.-e ley:, ei.- nor, nehtoej uith the New The il.-ience ccihoiiiii-.- niit'irally do not fe.-i ii their imsiness u. anticipate opposition. .They have to adiiiinisler Lie .Military Service Am ;m enacted hy Pitrliiiiin nt, and they are procecdin-; ;o do -o with a scrnpitlotm i-e-aid lor iVoimoss and aeeiintey. They v.mM rather have volunteers than conscripts. They ni-,- tryiii'i to avoid interferine; wit !i ;. 11 ■% man's liherty of dee,-am one ti-dnnte i arlier lhan is necessary. They wi.-!i lo have Lie v. hoi,, operation of compulsory mdi-tnimii conducted in view of ihe puhlic, in order trial there niav ho no tnisiincloivstaiuliiios at any staiie. They want every reservist to know 'pi't what are his rights as well as his oUieaLons. Put when tin- ehoiee !n..., hi-en made and certain men have heeit summoned for service under the Act, Lie arm of Lie Defence Department will he found to he long nnd its erip sine. That, at any rate, is the iji:pto;-sioti conveyed hy all ex.amimition of the arrangements tlia.t iim hein^r Tiie desire of Ihe Defence Dopnrtmmii ,o he fair to every man is illustrated hy the form of the notice that will he used to aefpiainl the men eonceria d uith the result of tile ballot. The names of the selected men will be published in the New Zealand Gazette. Then a nmho will be sent to each of the men, informing him that he has hewn (ailed up by lot for service with ihe New Zealand K.xpeditionarv Force. Ho will be told that, if he desires to appeal 1- a .Military Service Board, lie niav do so oy posting a registered letter ; l( l(iv(>sved to the Commandant of the Defence Lories at "Wellington, and containing a notice of appeal stating his name,' occupation and postal address, and the grounds of the appeal. A form of notice of appeal will be enclosed, and the iremit- will be informed he may scud to the Commandant along with the notice of appeal any documentary evidence ")' .-Litenieiic of facts which he wishes to bring to the notice of the. Militarv Service Board. The reservist will be' allowed (on flays uithin wdiich to make his appeal. No reservist, then, will be in a position to state that he has been treated unfairly or denied full opportunity to establish a claim for exemption. If a mar, fails to establish such a claim or does not make any claim at all, and then resists the military service law, he wili b" precisely in the position of a soldier u ho has disobeyed orders. Every man of military age in lsc\v Zealand is in fact, a soldier already, since he lias been constituted a member of the Expeditionary force 'Reserve. Ji' h'o refuses to serve, the law provides penalties to meet his ease. He will be dealt with "as the law directs," and if surface indications can be trusted lie will receive little sympathy from any section of the f-onimiinity. ! .MILITARY SEN VICE BALLOT, , . * "WELL-OBDETVEI) SYSTEM. 1 The. Wellington "Evening Post' states;—Erom the Government Statis tieian'H viewpoint everything" is now ii \ readiness for the first ballot tinder th 1 Military Service Act. The -Ist Diyisto: Register has been. completed, and i contained in 194 card cabinet drawers The. mmt'oci' of drawers wa& larger a first, but has been reduced. Eac. drawei contains'soo cards/ includin ' a certain percentage of blanks—rougl ■ ly 10 per cent. —so that, approximate! 87,000 reservists ai , 9-<r<jpEese&WJ,ra..'s ',l-. iJi- '.-*"S'it'.fKv\x.~-'b'rW&. LJ

IL lii.-ter. The iiiethod in which the j liiihit. i- to he -taken is piwridcd Ly | ie-i;l;',Leiis which li.ive been naze I tod. < The select i<i!i ni' men liv Lall.it is Hiluirr.llv iv'iarded as a. sci'ious business. ;,, ~ I,'ieh -ivat care should be exorcised i„ ensure absolute I'airnoss. I'liere . houhi be iinlliin;.' haphazard <ir _cai'''ill (he sv.stCTii. a statistician. \|, .Maleo!ni'i'':'i'.-cr is a man of method, ;IMI | he has Liken ail V<uc t-o (-'■>• that i 1,,. hall-uiiiLi maeliiiie is in liood work"j,,,. ~.,;»•,- be;',ire lie is...called upon to put j ( mt,, operation. There have been ~-jM v.allots on several occasions to ,ev't Lit edieieney of the s.vsi-in, and improve it in such a way l-hnt it mil i,e Loth speedy and certain. Yesterday ; iteriiMoii a. trial ballot was taken, at 'u'llieh i-ep.l'esenta Lives of tin- JU'ess were , iv.llt. I'RK.CAITIONS FOII FAIR NT.**. > ' Tin ballot is really taken in two ■ ( ciior.s. Lirsl. then i-, the ballot id' ilii. e.-dei' ill which the card-drawers are to lie on the tables. The cards are airaiiL'yd in striei alphabetical order ni' t!ii' icM-ivisis' names, and, as will he .-ceil later, wen. the drawers to be taken out in alphabetical order "the chances, would be heaviest, uith A, while Lie /.i.hrabs, Zaehaiiahs, and /.anew ill. would come oil' lightly. Ac- . oniiiiL'lv, L'l marbles are placed in the ballot, drum, and the order in which they are drawn is the order in which the diawers. which are numbered, are to lie on the two inner tables. Yesterday the Statistician drew the marbles, a voiinti lady mi-nine; the ballot-drum 'alter each'was. drawn. As. the numbers were called out, a regiment of boys took the drawers out of (ho cabinets and placed ihem in position. Two assistants recorded the order of the drawi:,L.;, and from then- list- the Alae.istrnte, a;-' Lie actual hallot, would check the order of the drawers on 'the tables. This pan of tlie ballot was concluded ill a. \ ery Liort space of time. IXLLIMLLL \S>|nTA\TS. Tl ia. -a hen the (Iran cis were till neatly anaa. e,| with Lie alphabetical eiiide-c.srd.s turned inward-, forty-nine yoiin.e la-lie- entered the room. They |;ri in be the Statistician's assistants, and a:e iiieii- ible - -but- in a. military - ease cnly. With no fu-s or ilurry, they look nil Leo- -laiioiis at the tables, l-au-h lady. -ai, one. had Jour card bn\e- !ei in her. Mr Lraser bneilv repeated ie-i ria-i aei- a- lo Lie m.'thod--i , be pii'-u.-! i': ttirniii'.-: up the card-, .no • '..,..m di .-w ; i on: i lie card-driiin ihe l,:s; ~..;; IT- lie .ailed the number, ami the iada ■■ i itrtied up Lie card eor-r-.-,peti hue in ci'-h ~; the nuir drawers. |o' i; '■'!:;;., • L:i- e| eraiion there arc , j;,...- i !i ( . a.-l-i .'.l-. !:.'- i.nl.v lo count noil. Lie -Hide. L.. 1 esamp ! e. II ' lie ae., : ~|- draw ii i- .'L.'L Lie assi-la,!! 1 . t-.1,e- -'a thl.d card 111 the liolil oi Lie .-uii!' h.-arine. the number :L.*i;. The ■ -.. |-!iit doe, not Id I the eai d Ii om Ibe La-.-.r, but turns it up -,o that 'he enudier of the recruit ill'.: ill-trie!, is \ .:,ii■ ii■. No n:ini'' or any other partiou-|--i- ian lie a-eeriained. Tiiis having I. en done. Lu .Maeisirale aml the -ia(i-lieiall walk round the tallies and :■•!•.-.' Loin the drawers those cani- ,. I,i<• 11 bear tlie numbers oi districts for v, le'-h men ;'■ re icipiired. They eomni re-e » itli rim ijrst di-.'iHer taken out and i'oilow the ordet in which Lie .'rawer- ha\v been placed. All assistant has a form ii/dieatine, the number of men required from each district, and when ihat number has been drawn till other cards lor (hat district are turned down. A- the cards are taken out tlmv aie placed in a caoinet which contains anides correspoiidiiie. to Lie various i-eerii'LiiU districts. Thence they pas.". to a. table where writers are ready to compile the list- from the cards sclecl- (,,|. A cheek round L kept of each caid drawn, so that should any assistant attempt l-o conceal a card it- can be traced. Xo Ist Division men will be omploved way at Lie ballot. The male assistance which may be necessary will be rendered by youths or men who have no personal interest in the d>'awine. THOROUGH WORKING ORDER. Kvot vthine; went very sniooUiily yesterday.' The lady assistants wen) watched bv men. but they appeared to know their business so well as not to need this supervision. When the actual hallot is diawn there will be certain additional precaution;-, for fairness and secrecy. II will be the duty of the .Magistrate to see that, all the 000 marbles are placed in the card-drum. Tim having been done, the drum will be locked and the will retain the key, unlocking the drum himself when a lna.hlr- is to 'no drawn, and looking it a<rn'in immediately. The whole system bu.s O'coii devised to combine perlect fairness with celerity, and it was amply demonstrated yesterday that- the cheeks are sufficient to ensure tins.