UNACCOUNTED FOR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3194, 19 September 1917, Page 4

UNACCOUNTED FOR

The figures laid before Parliament by the Minister op Defence showing the outeomo of the various ballots under the compulsory servico system go far to confirm a widelyheld suspicion that an unduly large number of eligible reservists aro ovading their military responsibilities. Up to August 21 the total number of men callcd up by ballot was 49,588, and of this number no fewer than 5505 failed to report for duty. Investigation served to looato 2541, or less than one half of those unlocated. About 13 per cent, of the men who did not report for duty but who were afterwards looated were found to be already serving with the Expeditionary Forces; about 10 per oont. had already loft Now Zealand; over 20 per cent, were exempted or otherwise accounted for; nearly 30 per cent, were unfit; and less than 25 per ecnt. Were sent into oamp. Thus out of tho 5505 men who did not respond when callod on over 3000 remained unaccounted for on August 21 last. It will probably bo found that some of these mon are already serving with the Forces, and some may have left tho country, but thoro must be a very substantial proportion who aro deliberately evading servico and defying tho law. Th>> task of locating these men and calling them to account is a difficu't one, but the Defonco Department has had sufficient time to get : ts records into order, and it should now bestir itself more actively in the matter. It is worthy of notice that of 49,588 men called up in the ballots only 9883 had been passed as fit and sent' into oamp at tho date covered by the return; 2347 additional being under orders to proceed to camp, making 12,230 in all. Of the total of 49,588, only 1196_ remained awaiting medical examination, which on the percentage of fit men secured from the previous drafts would add another 300, making a total of 12,500 fit mon out of some 46,000 located. This number will no 'doubt be added to by tracing some of the 3000 odd men who still remain unlocated; and also by the re-examination of certain classes of those men who at the first examination were classified _ as unfit for active servico. Thus it will bo seen that of tho men ealled up and modically examined a fraction over one in ovory four were passed as fit for active service—a proportion which will bo added to W the _ reexamination by a special Medical Board of a substantial number of those previously rejected.