BALLOTED MEN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3193, 18 September 1917, Page 6

BALLOTED MEN

A COMPREHENSIVE RETURN

TRACING THE DEFAULTERS

WHAT THE AUTHORITIES

HAVE DONE

~ In the House of Representatives Inst night the Minister of Defence (Sir James £ Allen) presented a return showing the ■ position of the reservists drawn in Ballots 1 to 9 as at August 21, 1917. The f main figures were as follow: — t Number of reservists drawn 49,588 i Already sent to or under orders i for camp 12,230 - Number awaiting disposal 29,689 r Not located or temporarily unr available 3,(598 9 Permanently unavailable 3,071 : The number of balloted men sent to 1 camp had been 9SS3, while 2317 men were 3 under orders to proceed to camp. The ' 29,689 men awaiting disposal were classi--3 fled as follow:— , Awaiting medical examination 1,196 Bl and B2 men awaiting medical J re-examination IS7 CI men awaiting special training . 317 [ C 2 men, of whom a proportion , would be medically re-examined 23,093 \ Sine Die Men. ■ Then there were the men whose disposal was dependent on policy. These 1 comprised the following:— Fit men and special appellants (not yet medically examined), awaiting hearing of appeals .... 578 Appellants whose appeals had been temporarily adjourned 512 Sine die appeal decisions awaiting reconsideration 3,405 Awaiting orders to concentrate ... 101 The Missing Men. The reservists unavailable for service were classified as follows:— At sea, absent from New Zealand, etc 61 Not located since drawn in ballot 3,121 Deserters, failed to concentrate when ordered 516 Dead, aliens, etc. 1,391 Reservists exempted on appeal ,47'J Permanently unfit 2,101 ' CI and C 2. ' '* CI men are men who are likely to become fit for active service after special training, and who are being called up for special physical training. C 2 men are men classified as unfit i'or activo service abroad,' but fit for service in New Zealand. Those mon aro being combed-out, and those not obviously unfitted for service are being re-examined by a special medical board. The authorities haro called mp for re-examinr\tion 3638 men from the first six ballots, and at least as many more from the last three ballots will bo called up l 'at an early date. Any men classified as CI on re-oxamina-tion will be sent to the CI camp. The Exempted Men. Tho special appellants consist of coal miners, policemen, theological students, clergy, and goldminers, whose appeals jnu6t be heard prior to their medical examination. In all other cases medical examination takes ..place prior to tho hearing of appeal. j The cases of men whose appeals have beon adjourned indefinitely by.the Military Service Boards aro now being recon'eidered by the boards, and some of these men will probably bo sent shortly to camp. This last includes men who are presumed to be Germans or of other alien cnemv parentage, but who have not been definitely designated enemy aliens by the authorities. It also includes men presumably under age whose birth certificates havo not yet beon ob. taincd, and others who havo not received definite orders when to proceca to camp. The Deserters.

Men who havo boen medically examined but who have failed to concentrate for camp Oβ ordered are assumed to bo deserters, and if after investigation by the group officers they are found to do actual deserters, warrants are issued for their" arrest. The numbers fluctuate. It was found on September 13 that cut of tho 516 coses 255 had been, sent to camp or otherwise accounted for since tho return was made out on August 21. ' The Defaulters. Another returned presented by tho Minister of Defence showed what had become of the balloted men who had failed to report when ordered up to August 31 last. The return showed that 5505 cases had been referred- to the Director of Personal Service by the Director of Recruiting as "lost. Of this number USO names had been , gazetted and 1743 traced without gazetting. Iho men who had been traced were classitieU as follow:— Already in forces 839 Sent to camp ™s Medically unfit <. .....■•••■ '« Left New Zealand as civilians ... 198 Left to join other forces a Seafaring abroad « In hospital *j> In prison " Dead .-■ 6i Exempted by Military Service Boards rV™" Located and referred back to U.K. for action ...: ••• J™ Remaining under investigation ■!(«■> Warrants outstanding *" Tho numbor of men found as a result of -the gazetting was 70S, making the total found 25H out of tho Sftfla names referred to tho Director,of Personal Service. The cases' found were classified as follows:— Sent to camp ■■ ™, Unfit '" Already serving f* Left New Zealand •••••••• -'< Exempted or otherwise accounted lor M^ 2,511 3121 Men Not Located. .Sir James Allen said that the preparation of the returns had involved a great Ueal of labour. The tables had been sent tack to the officers several times in order that certain amendments might be made. He thought that the returns as nowpresented was as ""curate as possible. »ho figures showed that 3121 of the men drawaJu the ballot had not been locaterf Mr (MaUura.) : Aro the "TTjSrlllrt: Not here. I hope later in publish the names. I want to place a list of tho defaulters' names in the hands of every member of P»ri»»™; and ask the members to do their duty in helping to lind these missing men. Mr Aniereon: Conßscate their property. That will bring them out.