The Bay of Plenty Bearon

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 38, 12 January 1943, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Bearon

Published Tuesdays and Fridays,

TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1943

THE MILITARY DEMAND

ARMED forces appeal boards all over the Dominion were kept busy during 1942, and those operating in the No. 1 (Paeroa) Area were no exceptions. The total number of appeals listed for hearing throughout the Dominion must have reached many thousands, and the year 1943 will see the aggregate further increased. No appeals from the reservists balloted on December 22 have yet been heard. From the call-up on January 20, 1942, of all married men between the ages of 18 and 46, without children, the demands for the Army progressed through six ballots till,, on December 22, all those up to the age of 45 years, with children, had been called up in age groups. Compulsory enrolment in the Emergency Reserve Corps of men between the ages of 18 and 66, except specially exempted classes, was introduced on January 22. Compulsory registration of men aged 46 to 50 was ordered in March under the National Service Regulations. Men in the territorial forces aged 21 to 41 were made liable for overseas service, and the existing appellate bodies were reconstituted. Registration under the: National Service Regulations of certain trade groups was called for, and finally men aged 51 to 60 were obliged to register. Only men of 61 years and over are now beyond the grasp of military demand. But even men within this group may volunteer for war work, or again they are in many instances within the scope of the trade groups dealing with men of special qualifications. The Appeal Board in Whakatane is scheduled to hold a further sitting this month, possibly within the next week and from reports to hand there will be over two hundred appeals to be dealt with apart from any of those arising out of the last ballot. Now that all the manpower of New Zealand is listed and classified it will be interesting to see just how the authorities have decided to handle the position during the coming year.