MILITIA ROLLS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 9, 5 October 1907, Page 4

MILITIA ROLLS.

The Council of Defence has decided that tho militia rolls shall be compiled forthwith, and instructions to that effect have been sent to the various defenco districts of the colony. i Ibis is not au alarming decision, but merely a necessary provision for the posibilities of the future. There must be somo well-defined system of militia enrolment in the Dominion, so that , at any time, should a particular exigency arise, tho number of men avail- ' ' able for defenco pu:poses may bo readily ascertained, and, if necessary, called out. The fact that militia rolls are being prepared does not, in our own case, imply the creation of a militia force 1 either at present or in the future, i unless the volunteer forces fall short \ of their present strength and efficiency, or tho Dominion should be suddenly faced with tho prospect of do- . fending its shores from -a foreign invasion. It is imperative that militia . rolls should not only Lo compiled, but that thoy.. should bo carefully revised . from time to time, and brought' thor- ' oughly up- to date. Section 4- of the Defence Act Amendment, 1900, says:—For tho purposes of enrolling and organising the militia, tho Governor may, from time to time, by any general order— ; (1) Divide the colony into ".military : districts" and " sub-districts," and ! define or alter tho boundaries thereof: (2) appoint fit persons, to be. ' called "enrolment officers" for each of such districts or sub-districts, or j as he may deem expedient. ," Section 5 says:—Every enrolment officer shall preparo annually a roli showing the names and such other particulars as may be prescribed, of all persons in the district or subdistrict who are liable to serve in ' Chss .1 of tho militia, and for this purpose, shall, if necessary, make actual enquiry at each' house in his other ilieans in his power to make and district ur sub-district, and adopt any ! complete a correct roll. •[ Tho militia 1 will be divided into three classes, namely:— - Class 1, unmarried men between 17 and 30. ! Class 2, married men between 17 and 30, and unmarried men between 30 and 40. ' Class 3, married men lietweon 3d and 40, and unmarried men between. •40 and'4s. : / ■ . , Tho • statutory • exemptions under tho Act' are: — . ' Tho Judges of the Supreme Court. The ."members' of- tho Executivt Council. -. The members of the General A»< 1 soinbly. Tho officers of tho General Asscra* wy- , . Secretaries and undor-secretaries .of the General' Government. The Judges of the Native Land Court. The Public Trsutee. Resident Magistrates. Telegraph clerks. _ ." ' , Postmasters, mail carriers, and ferrymen. All officers, clerks, or other persons acting in the management or collection of Customs revenue.., i Persons employed on railways open for traffic. The clergy and ministers of all religious denominations who shall for the time being be the officiating ministers - within the meaning of the Marriage - ; ' Act), IS3O. 1 The professors in any college, or university. - , All sheriffs and constables. , All warders and keepers and guards of every public prison and lunatio asylum, and tho attendants on the sick in every public hospital. Teachers of schools actually engaged in teaching. Seafaring men (other than watermon and boatmen) actually engaged in their calling. >. All volunteers enrolled under any Volunteer Act for tho time being in forco within the colony. All persons afflicted with lunacy, deafness, blindness, or with any other disease or infirmity that may render them unfit for servico, such diseaso or infirmity being duly certified by t a medical man appointed by the Governor and paid by the' Government for that purpose. Each such certificate Shall state the nature of tho disease, " ; or infirmity under which tho claimant is labouring, and distinguish whether it incapacitates him for . ' actual servico and training and exercise, or for actual service only. The preliminary work of fixing the boundaries of the various districts is now being proceeded with, but it will be somo considerable time before the rolls are actually completed. ' ?. As an indication of tho possibilities . of the future; the following extract ; from tho report of tho Defenco Coun- • oil is not without interest:— Should the volunteer forco not bo maintained or brought up to an efficient state, ■ volunteering has had its last chance. If the general public are m . earnest as to defence, thoy must- them- i selves assist and onsuro that under \ the volunteer system sufficient, enlistment is made," and that once men J are enlisted they attend regularly;. Tho alternative is a system of uni- j vorsal or compulsory training, where-' bv the burden of servico in tho dofence forces will be more evenly dis- ' tributod."