NATIONAL REGISTER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2744, 12 April 1916, Page 6

NATIONAL REGISTER

.. _$ MORE GRACE TO DEFAULTERS THEN PROSECUTION. _ "The staff of the Government Statistician, has been very largely increased during the last few days for the purposo of completing the National Register," said the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. G. "W. Russell) to a reporter yesterday. ' "Some 150,000 names are in the possession of the Department for the purposo of inquiry as to whether the persons therein set out have or havo not sent in their National Registration cards. . The large staff aro now engaged in comparing these names with tno National Register, and rapid progress is being made. In all cases whore a naino is sent in which is 'found not to be on the Register, careful inquiries are being made through the police as to the correctness of the name, whether the person is of military age, and was in the country at the time the National Register was taken, and other particulars. "On receipt of this information, the Department will be ready to prosecute all those who are not on the Register. The matter has received the most careful consideration, and Cabinet has now agreed that a further fourteen days of grace shall bo allowed to all men who are not on the Register in which to forward their registration cards. The dates. will be announced in due course by the Government -Statistician, and it the end of that time no further grace will be allowed. All those who have not then sent in thoir names .will be prosecuted under the Act, even if they should, after the period has expired, forward their registration cards. This may, therefore, be regarded as the' last opportunity that will be given to those who have so far failed to fulfil thoir obligations. "In the meantime, as already stated, steps are being taken so as to be ready to carry out the prosecutions immediately after the period of .grace has expired. "Cabinet has also determined to issue a further Proclamation, requiring all persons who have arrived m the Dominion since the date of the National Register (October 16, 1915) to forward their registration cards! It will also bo the duty of those who have arrived at military age since that date to forward their cards. These Proclamations will bo continuous, and. thenceforward the _ responsibility of forwarding information to the Department will rest upon the people concerned."