RESERVISTS WARNED

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3110, 14 June 1917, Page 6

RESERVISTS WARNED

CERTIFICATES OF ENROLMENT REQUIRED. 'Che Recruiting Board has decided that steps shall be taken to give effect to Clause U of the Military Service Act, which is in intended to secure the enrolment of all members of the Expeditionary Force Reserve and to bring about the detection of •'shirkers." The Government Statistician (Sir. Malcolm Fraser) has been empowered to take tho necessary action in the matter. . Section « of tho Act makes the following provision :— (1) After tho enrolment of tho First Division of tho Reserve, or of any class thereof, has been proclaimed and directed, any constable may question any man who may reasonably bo supposed to bo of military age, as to any or all of tho following matters, namely: His name, occupation, and abode, the date and placo of his birth, his enrolment in the Reserve, and any other matters relevant to the question of his membership of the Reserve or any division or class thereof, or his membership of the Expeditionary Force.

(2) Any man who fails or refuses forthwith lo answer any questions so put to. him, or who answers any such question In a false or wilfully misleading manner, shall be guilty of an offence pinijshahlo on summary conviction by imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months, or by a fino of not more than £50. and any man reasonably suspected of any such offence may bo,detained by any constable and brought before a Justice of tho Peace lo be dealt with according to law.

Some thousands of TCesorvists throughout New Zealand are not at present in possession of their certificates of enrolment. If they do not put them.solvos right, before tho end of this.month Ihey will become liable not onlv to severe penalties, but also to tho iiiconvenieuce of summary arrest. Tho certificates have been forwarded to the post offices nearest tho addresses given by tho men themselves on their resistrn Hon forms. It is tho duty of the Reservists to call fnr tho certificates. If they have difficulty in securing their papers, they should write to the Government Statistician and givo particulars of their registration. Pull Jiaraes should be written on tho top lefthand corner of tho first pago of all letters.

Referriug to this matter yesterday, tlio Government Statistician said that overy man of military age not wearing uniform should bo able to produce either a certificate of enrolment or olso a pass showing that he had "been granted leave without pay. 'Application forms for enrolment certificates were available at all post officers. Those men who had lost their enrolment certificates could or-Iy get them rcnowed by forwarding a statutory declaration before a, Justice cf the Peaceto tho effect that it had been lest. Such declaration would cost each man making it 3s. for stamp duty. All men, added Mr. Eraser, were Mso obliged to notify any change of address per forms obtainable at my prist office. He would i-ecoive an acknowledgment in reply, and if he did not get this he should notify again, the onus being placed upon him to do so._ In such an event rf-.-notifi-cation was his own protection. Notification of change of address also must be given Mthin fourteen days of effecting tho same, as in every ense whero it was found that a reon hul failed in this respect, proceedings were being instituted against him.