MILITARY BALLOT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2980, 18 January 1917, Page 4

MILITARY BALLOT

NEW ARRANGEMENTS

ACCELERATING THE WORK

Proposals intended to accelerate tho machinery of tho Military Servico Act havo been approved by Cabinet, and will he givon effect to at onco. The number of Military. Service Boards is to bo doubled, in ordor that appeals may bo dealt with moro promptly than has been possible up to tho presetit time Two additional Medical Boards a.ro to bo created, and tho dates of tho ballots are to bo advanced, so that moro time may ho available between tho drawing of, the names and tho summoning of tho mon to camp.

"Wo are going to increase the liuinbor of Military Service Boards from four to oight," said tho Minister of Dofenco (tho Hon. ~T. Allen) to a Dominion reporter yesterday. "Ther'o has been a certain amount of congestion in connection with appeals during the initial stages of tho scheme, and we wish to avoid anything of tho kind in the future. "Wo havo already created two additional Medical Boards, and wo proposo to add two more. Tho additional boards may not he. required: when tho 6chemo is in full working order and all accumulations of work havo been cleared away, but they will bo retained if there is work for them to perform." The Minister added that experience had shown the date of the ballot to be too near the date of mobilisation. Tho interval was four weeks, and as each recruit had to bo allowed at least a fortnight to arrange his own affairs there was not enough time for the necessary administrative work, tho hearing of appeals, and the conducting of the medical examinations. He had decided, therefore, to extend the period between the ballot and the mobilisation to eight weeks. The change would involve drawing a double number of names at the next,ballot, so as to cover two reinforcements, ono due to be mobilised four weeks later, and the other eight weeks later. The subsequent ballots would all be eight weeks in advance of the mobilisation of tho reinforcements for which the men drawn. The publio should understand, clearly that the drawing of a double number of names would not mean any increase in the number of men required. Tho change would simply give reservists more notice that their services wero required."