THE DEFENCE MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 174, 12 April 1918, Page 8

THE DEFENCE MINISTER

CLASS B BALLOT ADVANCED. Sir James Allen, Minister of Defence, said that he would like .to'supplement what th,e Prime Minister had said. In view of the earlier mobilisation of the Forty-first and Fortysecond R-einforcements. it would be necessary to take the first ballot in Class B of tho Second Divis'on this month- instead of in June, as previously announced. The date- of the ballot must be advanced in order to enable the Department to keep the promise made to. the Second Division reservists • that they would receive at least three mouths' leave of tabsenco between medical examination rnd mobilisation. The Gazette to be published on April 23, therefore, would contain the names of men drawn in the first ballot of Class B reservists, the men with a wife and one child each. It was impossible to ritate the number of men who would require to be drawn, as the Government wns awaiting advice from the Imperial authorities regarding the strength of future monthly reinforcements., bnt probably not less than f-000 names would be drawn. Every effort was beinp; made in the meantime to discover First Division men who had not yet been accounted for. DEFAULTERS AND DESERTERS.

Further. proposals for detecting and securing defaulters and deserters were now under consideration. The .Dofence' Department had shown a great deal- of. activity already in this matter. .The names of ilaliO balloted >moii who , had failed to respond to the call had been referred to the Director of Personal Service since the inception of the compulsory system, and 6666' of these men had been discovered, leaving 2864 still to be traced. There vas reason to believe that most of these mun were either dead or out of the 'Dominion; Thev included sailors and others who had no fixed place of abode. The names of these men had Iwen gazetted and displayed in post offices throughout the country, and members of Parliament, and the "cnoral pubiir had'been invited to_ supply the Defence Department with any information that was available regarding them.

Than there were the cases of First Division ■•eservists whose appe'ils had been adjourned sine die by the military sorvice- boards. The names of these men, with the exception of sticli groups as coal-miners, sailors, marine engiueers, slaughtermen, and shearers, had been reviewed by the military service boards, and out of 6937 sine die reservists, over 800 had been ordered into camp. There were still 6127 First Division reservists on leave sine die, and it was fqr Parliament to say how far they should be copibcd out. The problem of maintaining essential industries and of retaining tho last man on the , farm had proved exceedingly difficult. It had been impossible to lay down hard and fast rules. Each case had to le dealt with on its merits. The (lorernment had recognised the principle of granting exemption to the hona-fide last male worker on a-fann, and as far as he was aware the military sorvxe boards had given effcot to its wishes. But the cases had to be consider!"! in the light of circumstances. Thw had been appeals for men who indoubtedly were the Inst' men on r;>nn«. but whose family connections inndr , it dear that their euli-4ment would rjit involve loss of pruchrtirn or urnhir hardship- He could nuote thn case of a so-called "last man" who hntl b'on shown to have five brothers in Now Zealand availabb to work the. farm. The board hail refused exemption in cases where farms had bwn subdivided since the beginning of eh" <vnr or since* the operation of fh» Militnw Service Ant. Each p.npeal had '.o l:n closely ."innitiiiiscd liofnro exemption wps granted. He K'liew of n '■■"■■"

where :i fiithor had '-lit up n f'T'O into three portions, and put an eligible son on cvh portion. Men <i\-] no' pet exemption under °nrli The military sfrviri bornds lmt' recpived very valuable assurance from flip Nntinnnl T,flieipney lionrd in dpalinr; with firmer reservists. Tt utr <'n]v -rl'ivn the was verv clear that the ease of a farmer iv«ervi«l, w-.<; dealt wifli without a report f«"ii (he ; ct C"""ii=si"""r of t.b- W(T»>ipii»-' Rmrd. Ilie T'litary s-'Tvice \l>'i,-.rds did tl'eir '.v»rk in a judicial nnil impartial way. Thev were judicial bodies constituted iinder the Act, and.

he'had no power to interfere with their decisions. MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS. The Minister added that the rules laid down for thu medical examination of First Division reservists had been followed closely. Medical officers did not work in their own districts when examining reservists. There had been allegations that men had escaped service through the medical boards, even allegations of bribery and i.f favour to a particular religious denomination. Ho would investigate every charge of the kind if evidence -was forthcoming. But it was a fact to be noted that for every complaint of a n:an escaping service, through the medical boards there were twenty complaints that men had been sent into camp when they wero not fit for service. The re-examination of First Division reservists who had been classed as unfit in the first instance had proceeded under the conditions laid down. Reoxamination had been ordered in many cases where complaints had been received that men had been rejected through mistake or misrepresentations, and experts had been used to examine men whose disabilities, real or imaginary, required special investigation. It had been found in dozens of cases where complaint had been made that men were evading service improperly, that the historv sheets of the reservists in question showed the existence of some disease or deformity that made service in the Army out of the question. A member: What about combing out your Department? Sir James Allen: The Defence Department has been completely combed out. I will make a statement on that point to-morrow if I can get the figures in time. TRAOINC THE SHIRKER. Mr. Pearce (Patea) said there had been a suggestion in Taranaki that the police had not taken proper action to arrest defaulters and dessrters. These men had been seen on racecourses 'and elsewhere, but the police had taken no action. ; Tho Minister of Justice (the Hon. T. M. "Wilford) said the police could not make arrests except by warrant. When tho Defence Department _ furnished names, the warrants were issued and tho men could then be arrested. Two men had been arrested recently . in Taranaki by this process, but the police could not proceed without the warrants. Mr. Anderson . (Mataura) said, that defaulters and deserters had escaped, to his own knowledge, because of ths lack of co-operation between the Defence authorities and the police. There wcro too many foolish technicalities. The two Departments ought to work hand in hand in enforcing the Military Service Act. The waiting for proper warrants made evasion easy. A reservist who did not mobilise at the proper time should be liable to arrest-without further formalities. The people of his district had lost all confidence in the present arrangements, and he hoped- that the Ministers will set aside all technicalities.

Sir James Allpn said he was glad to see the House taking an interest in the detection of defaulters. Ho w;as sorry more members had not examined the published defaulters' lists and helped the Government to locate the men.

Mr. 15. V. Lee (Oamaru): What happens when you set the information?. Sir James Allen: You give us the. information and.we will deal with the men. Mr. Lee: But ,vmi don't. USING THE POLICE. Sir James Allen said that the Police Department was working hand in ftand with the Defence Department. He read a memorandum sent by him tu tho Police Department in February, suggesting certain measures to detect defaulters. One suggestion was thai, the police, when questioning men.of military age, should nut be satisfied with tho' production of a certificate of .enrolment, but should reauire First Division men to show their Wave passes. Employers' should bo- prosecuted if they employed non-registered men. The Minister added that' lie believed the Defence authorities were taking every possible step to discover missing reservists. Tlie police imd power to arrest without warrant, Tneyhad power to interrogate any naßffl apparently of militaiy age. They cook take eddresses" w detain iiv taea. \

The Minister of Justice said that the police, liad co-operated wit!) the Defence officers in every way possible in tlie arrest of deserters under the existing arrangements. He felt that there was a weak point in the system, however, and he had made a suggestion to overcome it. His suggestion was that the names of men who were gazetted as defaulters should be published in the "Police Gazette," and that publication in that "Gazette" should he taken as sufficient warrant for the arrest of the men by the police. Mr. Wilford added that the Police Force was very much under strength at {.he present time, and he had been taking special measures to increase its strength. "While the force was below the strength considered necessary for the performance of police duties and the maintenance of law and order, he could not consider any proposal for combing out the fores Mr. L. M. Isitt lOhristchurcli North) suggested that the Minister of Defence should make increased use of returned officers and release some of the Imperial officers for active service.

Sir James Allen said that as far ns he knew returned officers were used whenever opportunity occurred. If the lnomber knew of a returned officer not being used, and supplied the name, 'a satisfactory explanation would be supplied. ■ Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Eamont) referred to deserters who woro said to bo camped in Mount Egmont Park. Ho said that the whereabouts of these men had been stated to tho Defence authorities, but nothing had been dona for ton days, and b.v that time the won had moved to another camp. He believed they were still in the bush. ABOUT EXEMPTION?. Mr. G. Witty (Kiccartou) asked that eligible men in the military police and on hospital ships should bo sent to tin front. Sir James Allen said that the. military police were all men unfit for active service ' Mr. "Witty: "No. Have them re-exam-ined." 'J'lk'l'o wore men on the hospital ships wiio verc lit to go to the front. Plenty of officers now serving in New Zealand could bo sent to the front and released by returned officers. Then tlu.ru were wealthy men and employees of wealthy companies who hud bser. able to get exemption on liie ground that they were iiidispeiiaKlih , , although tlioy lr.id b;'wi able ti> taks long holidays in tlie.niist.

Tin , . Minister asked for names, ami members replied, "Laidlaw," '"Pole's sun," "Kigluon, of AVelliiigtoii." '

Sir James Allen snid that "red caps" worn not kept in New fontanel unless they wen; unfit. The men on hospital ships were fit men on active snrvicn. He believed that the military service boards bad done their Weill; hoiK'stlv and fairly. They might linvo nindo mistakes, but, they had not drawn distinctions between rich nnd poor. La idlaw's case hail ben:i inquired into, and lie would place full particulars before tlie House. Tlie ease of 'Pole was being investigated. Laidlaw had lost two. brothers on service, nnd was tlie solo remaining son. Tim Minister added tliat tlie offi'jers employed in New Zealand had done invab'alile work.

Or A'. K. Newman ("Oi'ellMHiton East) said he could not agree with all tlmt til , . , llinisii'i- had said, lie uiggesled that the Minister should send aome plain-clothes detectives into the backblocks to umiul up ehirkws. Th«

movements of uniformed police becatno known quickly. Sir Jamos Allen : Would you become a plain-clothes'detective? Dr. Newman said tho Minister i of Defenco was not J ;bo embodiment of wisdom. Members of Parliament know that many defaulters eould be secured in the way ho had suggested. Sir James Allen: It has been done.

Dr. Newman: "Only to tho smnjlest possible extent." It was a fact that recently a band of shirkers had come to a race meeting in the North island and had been allowed to disappear again without any action by the authoritios. He hoped the two Ministers would deal with this matter. Mr. Wilford: If the Minister of Defence will gazette the deserters and allow tho police to arrest them on tho gazette notice, I will attend to it. POSITION OF PUBLIC SERVANTS. Mr. Okey asked a .juestion about the State Fire Insurance officer who had been successfully appealed for in Taraiinki. He objected 10 tins officer being exempted on the appeal of a State Department when tne sons or settlers were being conscripted, and there was widespread indignation about it in the Tarauaki district.

The Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, said that all the First Division men who were eligible had gone out of the State Fire Oince. He believed that there were many people who were incensed at this mail's exemption, but he understood that they were chiefly lire insurance agents. He urged that the State Fire Insurance was an important Department of the State, wnicli needed lor its business trained men.

Mr. Myers said that there were only two First Division men in the Customs service throughout the whole of the Dominion who had not enlisted, and in both cases there were valid reasons why the men should not enlist. Mr. Massey made a similar justification of the-Railway Department. He said that in the whole service there were not 200 men of the First Division. INCREASING THE QUOTA. The Prime Minister ivent on to make a very important addition io his statement regarding the increase in the monthly reinforcements from this coun-try.--The Imperial Government, he said, had been asked to advise as to the number of reinforcements in addition that would now be required. On every occasion previously on which the New Zealand Government had asked for advice on this point the information had been promptly given, but if for any reason the advice did not oome on this occasion, the New Zealand Government would of its own responsibility increase the drafts and send the number of men they thought the country was able to send, having regard to the probable duration of the war. They did know the number of men available, but they did not know the probable duration of the war, and on this the Imperial Government might not bo able to give advice. If it should be necessary for the Government to act in this matter without the advice of the Imperial Government, he would ask Parliament and the country to back up the Government. MORE POUCE RAIDS. Mr. Wilford made reply to some suggestions that had been made that men could be well spared from the police force. He said that on the contrary the. force was much below strength, and in order to increase the force to .make it strong enough to carry on its work he liad'hnd to consent to the enrolling of probationary constables. 'Vs to the suggestions that the police should take action against defaulters at places of amusement, he wished fo tell them that measures would be taken shortly, but that he could not qivo riny information as to what these measures would be. lest he might make those measures ineffective by giving the information. Sir Joseph Ward took exception to the inferences that might bo drawn from the speeches of some members that men of the Public Departments were not doing their duty, and that the men appealed for were shirkers. This was not tho case at all. Tho staffs had been depleted to such an extent that if more of tho trained men were allowed to leave some of the offices it would not he possible to .got the revenues to which the country was entitled. The Post Office had not appealed for a single man, and , 2045 men from the service had actually left tho country to go to fight- He deprecated these attacks on men in the Public • Departments.