NATIONAL REGISTER.

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14743, 23 October 1915, Page 6

NATIONAL REGISTER.

TAKING STOCK OF MANHOOD. 1 WORK Witt/ ■ TUESDAY. The preparation of the National Register will be .begun officially on Tuesday next, when, the first issuer of forms .will bo made through the postal officers. The forms are ready for issue, and so are some thousands of posters, which are to remind the men of. the.-. -Dominion between the ages df .eighteen years and sixty that a duty has been imposed upon them. The forms must he .filled in correctly on or before November 9th. The officers who have-in hand the arrangements for the taking'of the Register are making elaborate preparations to" the distribution and collection .of the forms. They want to leave nO man a- shadow of excuse for failing to supply the information that is desired. But the men themselves.'will not. be. freed, from responsibility . by any failure - of the State'to put the forms ill; their hands. , Tho onus lies upon tho individual to do his part, and,' any, man may secure a form on application at a host office. VhdunteCT assistance, will be usied to some extent in the distribution of the forms, particularly in the country districts, buV the Collection of the completed papers wall be done entirely by State ..officers,'. This arrangement will ensure that-the Toms shall bq regarded as absolutely confidential. The forms will bo sealed in'.envelopes by the men j themselves, the envelopes being supplied for the purpose. --.. . Postmasters in country districts will send letters to station-holders requesting them to supply the names of employees, to whom schedules must be sent. Special, men will be engaged to call on the masters .of. coastal vessels and ascertain whether the, crews have received schedules, i In the foiir centres, the offices of the Registrars of Births, etc., will be open 1 continually from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, except Sundays, for the busy fortnight. v V , '• People in doubt about any question will be able to receive help at any post ; office throughout the Dominion. - I’ The final system of classification is not 1 vet available, for] publication, but the 1 schedules’ them -indicate, , broadly, j the classes to- be. arranged; 'Single men without dependents'''Will be - im-one class, and there will be idther classes for single men, according to age-,and circumstances. Similarly, married men will be grouped; for example, married men with oniv one dependent will he in one class, and their turn for service, bv (heir own initiative or the invitation of the Government, will ooine before a call is made on married men who have to carry a heavier load. The form pf personal schedule, on which the particulars .required for the Register arq to be furnished to the Government Statistician, - ivas set out in Thurkday hight’s .Gazette. The questions to be answered have already been published ini, the .daily papers. Personal schedules-in connection with the National Wax Register for conipletion by male residents of- 1 the Dominion between the ages of 18' arid 60 years are now being distributed'by-the Postal Department. The schedules - will be in- the hands of every postmaster before the 26th hist., on Which date*the taking of the Register commences. The exhibition of a poster announcing -the Governor s proclamation, .will be simultaneous at every post office and at various - other points on the mormnE'ofThe 26thand the ■ distribution: of' the’/schedules; will

then'commehce.” Iri the towns schedules Will be delivered to every residence by letter carriers and called for on'completion. - ,Wt the smaller places where-let-ter carriers are , not employed 'the schedules.Will be handed to eligible! persons by postmasters on demand. Provision hits been made by the' Department for tbe supply of schedules to persons holding private mail bags and to .those j resident bn rural postal deliveries.- Spo- : rial steps are-being, taken in connection | with the registration' of crews of coastal • and intercolonial vessels. Schedules are | not required to be filled in by full- | blooded Maoris or half-caste Maoris, j living as Maoris, biit half-caste Maoris , living as Europeans are required to ■ register., _ _ | The organisation of the Post Office is being used as far as possible to read) every eligible person in tbe Dominion, but the responsibility for obtaining the schedule rests upon the individual. Failure to return completed schedule to the Government. Statistician, Wellington, or to an officer of the Postal Denartment will renderfeligible persons liable to a maximum : penalty of : £IOO, oi- : six months’ imprisonment.