NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1083, 23 March 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

0 It is not often that a public man in New Zealand finda ifc necessary to reply to personal slanders by a public challenge through the press. Still less frequently—if ever before —is the course adopted by Mr. Byron Bkown resorted to. From what we have been able to learn of the matter, which has been given publicity through an advertisement in our columns, certain stories have been in circulation in the Otaki district for some time 'past, reflecting upon Mr, Brown's character. Mr. Brown has striven to trace the slanders to their source with a view to instituting court proceedings, but has not been successful in his efforts to discover the persons .responsible for the rumours. _ In the circumstances he determined to ask certain citizens of repute to constitute themselves a committee of investigation t and to pjacc himself in their hands.

The story of that committee's work is told in the advertisement pub- , lished elsewhere. Mr. Brown was able to procjuco evidence completely absolving him in the eyes of the committee on the charge made. It [ is to bo hoped that the bold course i taken by Mn. Brown will have the effect of silencing a slaikler of a very • cowardly nature. A correspondent has written asking for information conccrning the effect of the proclamation published , in our issue of yesterday, regarding I the now compulsory military training. His letter being of general interest, we publish it in full as follows : i ''^ cnr Sir,—ln this morning's issue of , the Dominion you publish the Govern- , meat proclamation calling to arms. Tlio specified ago for service is between 14 . years to 20 years of age, inclusive. Xow, suppose a person to be not only 20 years ■ oi' age, bnt 20 years and 10 months. Is lie subject to compulsory service under the terms of the Act? If the Act is to be interpreted with the utmost strictness, and in all testing of Acts this seems to be the case, a person of 20 years and 1 month or 20 years and It. mouths may conclude that he is exempt from service as being over 20 years of age. Would you kindly inform mo if the Act is to be so interpreted?" We have made inquiries and find that the answer to our correspondent's question is in the negative—that is to say that any person between the ages , of 20 and 21 years will not be exempt. According to the clause in the Act ■ which defines the period of eligibil- : ity for compulsory training, those , who were 21 years or over when the statute bccamc operative will not be called upon to register. A youth 20 years and odd months of age is, 1 therefore, not exempt, as the age is determined not by the actual period but by the date of the person's last birthday. If the date of a person's twenty-first birthday fell, say, on March 2 last, he would still be deemed to be of the 20th year, and therefore not exempt. If his 21st birthday had fallen on February 28 he would have been exempt, as he would have been 21 years of age before the new Act came into operation.