THE BALLOT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2935, 22 November 1916, Page 8

THE BALLOT

PREPARATION OF LISTS

WHEN SERVICE BEGINS

/ The scrutiny in connection with' the / last week under the Mili- " fary Service Act may bo completed in .'.time:for thei publication of the list of Compulsory recruits to-morrow. The *»sk is complicated by the failure of ."some members of tho First Division of the Expeditionary' Force Reserve to complete their forms in a clear inanJier. The roll on which tho ballot was .taken consists of the original forms, as 'supplied to tho Government Statistician by the reservists themselves, and at is possible that, the ad'dre'sses supplied by some of the men will bo found So bo insufficient. The scrutiny is be- ' Jng conducted 'by the Government Statistician (Mr. Malcolm Fraser) ' and tlio presiding Magistrate (Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M.). When the list of recruits is publish;fed in theGozette this week tho official 'jiotices. will he sent-hy registered post to the addresses supplied! by the men '<on their registration cards. If the addresses proves insufficient and the pos'tal'authorities are unable to deliver'the '.Jiotices, which will be preceded by a 'telegram, the reservist concerned will 'not thereby be relieved) from liability. The publication of the name in the "Gazette constitutes a legal notice, and the-lists will be shown in post offices throughout the Dominion for general information. It will bo the duty of •members of the First Division, ascertain whether or not they are summoned for service, in consequence of the ballot, Some reservists, when filling up-their, registration, forms, gave the names of post offices as their addresses. These men should call at tho post offices in order to ascertain if notices have been sent to them. ;• None of the' men- selected by ballot last week . .will be 'required to • enter camp before the date of mobilisation of the Twenty, fourth Reinforcements, in the • week December 11-16. If the list of Tecruits is gazetted to-morrow, the men will have a period of ten days within which to send notices of appeal to the Commandant of the Defence Forces. ' The period will close on December 2, and after that the men who have not appealed, and who'are found by the Medical Boards to be fi.fi for service, will bo allowed some time to arrange .their private affairs. The-Department will endeavour to allow fourteen days for this purpose, but no hard and fast rule will bo laid down. The hearing of appeals may begin, before the close of the ten days, but if the number is large the work may not be completed for some weeks. The Military Service Boards, indeed, are likely to ho occupied continuously for some time to come. There is one board for each of the.four Military Districts at the present time, hut the number may require to be increased later, if the pressure of work proves too great. "What will happen to the civil liabili- ' tics of- a man who is enlisted, compulsorily?" asks' a reservist. "Apparently a man may be involved, in serious financial loss, or even bankruptcy, owing to* being required to leave his business and enter camp.'' This point has received the consideration of the authorities already, and it is understood that some further protection will be provided in cases of the kind described. 'The regulations in force in tho United Kingdom, framed upon tho recommendations of a special committee of inquiry, protect the interests of tho conscript in regard to insurance, mortgages and some other liabilities. Any reservist summoned for service in New Zealand will bo entitled to appeal for: exemption on tho score of "undue [ hardship."