Military Training For Youths On Reaching Age Of 18 Years

Chronicle (Levin), 23 September 1949, Page 7

Military Training For Youths On Reaching Age Of 18 Years

WELLINGTON, September 22. j Described by the Le&der of the Opposition, Mr. ELolland, as j probably the most important bill to be introduced this session, g the Military* Training Bill of 72 clauses, was introduced . in the j Housa of Bepresentatives tonight, read a second time pro forma . j and referred. to the statutes revision committee. > S The Bill provides that every male British subject ordinarily | resident in New Zealand, who attains the age of 18 years on or ! after November 1, 1949, will be liable to serve.in the armed forces I for the following terms of service : — . g (A) A term of whole-time service comprising 14 weeks in j camp training. ' • j (B) Thereafter, three years' part-time service during which ■ ]•• he will be liable for a total of 60 days '■ training. \ (C) And thereafter six years in the Reserve. ' ! The Bill exempts from service certain classes of people, pro- j vides for the postponement of liability of service and prohibits the j dismissal of workers because of their military training. jj There are also clauses dealing with' conscientious objectors and j the appointment of a conscientious objection committee. ' t

A clause in. the Bill enables volun- ' tary service to be eounted as equivalent to whole-time service or part-time training or service in the reserve, as the case may require. j The following persons are to be ; exeiqpt from service: — Persons empioy-' ed by the Government of any part oi , the British Commonwealth other than .New Zealand, ministers of religion and members of religious orders, mental defectives, totally blind persons and persons in receipt of invalidity benelits under the Sociai Security Aet. Registration Next January. Every person liable for training is to apply for registration within 14 days after attaining the age of 18 years oi (if he is then out of New Zealand), witliin 14 days after his return. However, persons who become subject to registration before January 9, 195G, are to register within 14 days after that date. Applications for registration are to be made on preseribed forms and are to be delivered or posted to the nearest district offi.ce of the Department of Labour and Employment. Applicants will be registered in a military service register and will receive a certificate of registration. If any applicant notilies a preference for naval or air force service, that fact will be recorded ih the register. On any change of address a registered person must return his certifieate of registration for eorrection. The Bill provides for a inedical examination and grading of registered persons and prescribes the constitution and functions of a medical committee. The Minister of Employment is required to have regard to its recommendations. Provision is made for the appointment of regiona! medical ollicers and for medical boards. On receiving an enlistmept notice following his medical examination, the person concerned will thereupbn belong to the armed forces speciiied in the notice. He will remain a member of that force or of such other armed force to which he may be transferred, until ,r"-JVe»hh'^Wri?pi^9|p»lflMFde periods"of service. Changes of address must be notitied to the proper authoritv The calling-up notices for whole-time service are to give at least 14 days ' notice of the time for reporting. I'er sons who so desire to be registered on attaining the age of 17 years and l> months, and to be called up accordingly as if they «had attained the age oi 18 years, may do so. Training notices for part-time service will give at least seven days' notice and at least 14 days,' notice where the period of training is to be three days or more. Application may be made for a postponement of service on the ground Of undue hardsliip. Such applications are to be determined by military service postponement committees subject to thc power of the Director of Employment to grant postponement for not more than 12 months. A postponement committee may grant a postponement for not more than 12 months witliout a hearing. It may adjourn an application or appoint a time and place for a formal t hearing. After hearing an application the postponement committee may disniiss it, grant the postponement for not more than 12 months or adjourn the application. Conscientious Objectors. The Bill enables anv person who conscientiously objects to serving with the armed forces or to performing combatant duties, to apply for registration as a conscientious .objector. Every person who applies within the 14 days ailowed for registration, will provisionaily be registered in the register o. conscientious objectors and will receive a certificate of provisional registratior. The JJirector of Employment may provisionally register a person in the register of conscientious objectors not withstanding that he has refused or failed to make an application. Thc case of each person provisionally registered will be referred to a conscientious objection committee for determination. if the committee is not satisfied it wil. disniiss the case but if.it is satisfied r. will order that the applicant be regis tered in the register of conscientious objectors either unconditionally or as a person liable to be called up for ser vice but to be employed only in non combatant duties. If the application i. dismissed the applicant is to be regis tered in the military service register. Persons provisionally or uncpndition aily registered as conscientious objectors, are not to be called up for service and persons registered as. liable to be employed only in non-combatant duties are to be employed only in such duties. All persons registered as conseientiousobjectors are to return their certificates of registration for eorrection whenever a change occurs in their addresses or other partieulars. The BiJI enables conscientious objectors to apply voluntarily for registration for militarv service or (if they are already liable for non-combatant duties) to apph voluntarily for combatant duties. A conscientious objection committee may make orders for payments to the sociai security fund by conscientious objectors to ensure that their financial . position is not better than if they had . been called up for service and. training under the Bill. Tlipre nro oiwellftnoons provisions

dealing with procedure and administra- I tion. There is a prohibition on the J supply of intoxicating liquor to trainees 1 in any training camp in which trainees I are quartered or stationed and al'so on j wet canteens for any persons in those s eamps. The Bill prohibits the bringing | of liquor into any camp where any de- g fence forces are stationed, the only ex- ^ ceptions being for the supply to persons | over 21 years of age in authorisecJ * messes and wet canteens. f Every worker undergoing service or I training is deemed to have leave of . j I absence without pay and is accordingly | entitled to resunie his employment at j the end of each period of service. At j the end of his 14 weeks' whole-time | service a worker may take seven days I further leave is he so wishes. The j employer is protected in the case of g temporary, seasonal or casual workers. | No Dismissals Ailowed. j) The Bill prohibits the dismissal of j workers before the commencement of I their whole-time service or by reason I of their being liable for training, dur- j ing their part-time service or during ? any period of service or training or j I within 13 weeks afte.r the whole-time g ' service, if dismissal is by reason of ! their liabilities for compulsory military j service. Offences against these provi- j sions are liable to a fine not exceeding | £100 and such compensation as the I court may award the worker, not e'x- | ceeding 13 weeks '-wages. An erappyer ? is not obliged to count the period of a I worker 's whole-time service as time 1 served for the purpose of the worker 's i annual holidays or holiday pajr but time ! lost by reason of *• training during his I part-tixne service will be eounted as x time served. An employer is prohibited | | from forcing a worker to take his an- I : nual holiday during any period of ser- g ; vice or training. A worker is to be en- | ! titled to payment for any day as a I j holiday during his service or training in | i any case where l^e would have been so ? ! entitled if his ■ employment had ended 1 at Iho commencement of- his service. or | training. I Apprenticeships Suspended. ] Contracts of apprentieeship are to be I suspended during, any period of service g or training so that no wages will ue | payable for that period but time lost by I service or training is to be eounted as | time served for the purpose of comput- jj ing apprentieeship and the rate of | wages of an apprentice. A worker is I entitled to increments in his pay as if g the time lost by reason of his service or I training were time served in his em- I ployment. g Provisions which safeguard a work- I er's rights in the event of his perform- | ing compulsory service, are to extend to I cases where a worker performers volun- g tary service not exceeding three weeks ( in any year. Workers are required to j notify their employers when they are | called up or summoned for any compui- 1 sory or voluntary service or training j that will necessitate their absence from g work. An inspector of factories may 1 take proceedings for compensation for I wrongful dismissal, on behalf of work- | ers. Any compensation will have the $ same priority as wages in the event of | an employer becoming bankrupt or in ! tlie case of a companv going into I liquidation. j The Bill revokes the Occupational Re- 1 establishment Emergency Regulations I 1940 and the suspension of the Appren- | ticesliip Emergency Regulations 1940 | and their amendments, subject to any | existing rights and liabilities. i The Prirne Minister, Mr. Fraser, said s he proposed to refer the Bill to the 1 statutes revision committee because to I a large extent it involved law and | legal principles. There would be two 1 camps each year. It would be foolisii I to take young men away from farms in | the height of the season. He had f thought it would f>e possible to repeai | the Defence Aet but that could not be | done unless the Army Act, which had 1 been prepared, was passed this session- I and time did not permit of that. Thc i „ Defence Act would therefore have to be | left intact. ? % I