EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2519, 14 July 1915, Page 8

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

LAW DEFINED

EMPLOYERS AND ENLISTMENT

The Expeditionary Force Bill, intro-! duced into the House yesterday, deals with the rising b;r voluntary enlistment of an Expeditionary' Force, the disbanding of force, the appointment of officers, discipline, and 1 kindred matters. Apparently it merely sets out clearly existing law or practice. It provides that all officers- of the Expeditionary Force, unless they aro also officers of some other branch of the Defence Forces, be deemed to be transferred to tliO' .Reserve of Officers, and if an officer returns to tlio branch of forces to which 110 formerly belonged he will be qualified for promotion to the rank held by him in the Expeditionary Force. ' To the Expeditionary i'ortco while outside of New Zealand! the Army Act is to apply as relating, to offences and the trial and punishment of members of tho force,-, of all Tanks. Provision is made for the making of regulations relating to tho summary .jurisdiction of officers over offences under the Army Act committed in New Zealand* Porr son's sentenced abroad by court-martial, it is provided, may be imprisoned • in New Zealand, but a sentence - , of imprisonment may bo served abroad with the force. Courts-martial in or out of New' Zealand may, admit and act upon such evidence as tihey think fit, whether ■it is legally admissible in. other proceedings or not. All sentences passed heretofore on members of the force aro validated. Such reasonable sum or sums as the Minister of Defence thinks necessary may be deducted from- tho pay of any member of the force to sustain dependents, but tho pay of soldiers of any rank may not be assigned or charged. . A certificate from the Minister of Defence may be accepted by tho Courts as proof of death of a member-of the force, and the Court may accept as sufficient proof of the death of any man serving with any other British naval or military force sworn evidence of any person that, on the faith of. official intimation. received 'by him he believes that' such death has occurred. '

An important clause deals with tlio hindering'■'■or- preventing by employers of enlistment by their employees. Following is the text of it :— "No employer and lio .person on behalf of an employer shall penalise or threaten to penalise any . servant, whether by dismissing hira or reducing his . pay or otherwise howsoever by reason of-the fact that the servant has undertaken or' offered or proposes' or intends to become a member of.an Expeditionary Force, or with intent to dissuadothe servant from becoming a member of. such a force.

"Any person committing an. offence against this section shall be liable on' summary ■ conviction to a fine not less' than £10 and not exceeding £50. "Id 'any prosecution for an offence against this section the burden of proving that the act of the defendant was not done for tho reason or with tho intent aforesaid shall'lie upon the defendant. '

"Nothing in this section shall apply to tho relation's between an employer and his servant after tho. servant lias actually become a member of an Expeditionary Force." . • V