SEARCH FOR SHIRKERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3027, 14 March 1917, Page 6

SEARCH FOR SHIRKERS

GOVERNMENT WANTS'AID FROM THE PUBLIC. "Just a few words about the men who have been drawn in the ballot and. whom we have not been ablo to find," said the Acting-Primo Minister (Sir James Allen) to a reporter yesterday. "Thero is a- fair number of them, and it may bo that there is somo satisfactory explanation of our not being able to find them. AVo want that explanation, whether wo get it from the man himself or from his friends, or from tho police, or from the public. These lists are being posted up at. all tho post offices. AVe want them io bo as public as possible, and wo invite tho newspapers to make them.as public as possible, because wo aro on tho search for every man.

"There is, however, another class of men who aro trying deliberately lo ovado service. Well call upon the public throughout New Zealand to assist us in finding these men. The Defence Department and tlio police and Post Office arc doing what they can. but wo consider it to be tbo duty nf every citizen in Now Zealand to help lIS.

"If they know a man who is evading .servico tliey should inform us. I want to i>oint out why they uhould do so. If a man is trying to shirk he is probably putting into the ballot some man whoso claims' for exemption are greater than his own, and who, but for tho shirker, would uofc havo coino into the ballot. Jt will thus bo seen that it is to the interest of all. whether they belong to tho First or Second Division, to assist the authorities in this most important respect."