Military Service Act

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 August 1916, Page 3

Military Service Act

i;i-.S£,;VE i)ivlSlON'c? TO HE IMIOC I.AiMED .SEI'TE-UiiEK Isi and 2nd. Wellington. This Day. 111(• .Mi. i tilrv iSorvice Act- provides I'm- both civii and military processes, and in ihc circumstances ihe Cabinet lia.s deemed it desirable that there should In- a nniiorm c;.ntroding authority. The administration oi tlir Act, 11 it ■ir 11 >i c. so i:ir as con, cm,- all matterjn n ,-pi ct to which ihe Statute doernot u;n e a specific direction lias Keen placed under tin- control of tlie Uecruitin<s Board. I have now to announce that it 'ias been decided to proclaim the enrolment ot the Hist division of the Expeditionary Force Reserve on Friday, Ist Soptem- j ber. 'lOHi, and ot' the second division on the day following. namely. .Satnrdav. 2nd September. 1010. In the case of eaoli division a period ol 'iinrteeii days theieal'ter is allowed, by the Act to all men ol military age '"not hiss than 20 and under lo years of age,'' who have not registered under thf> National Kegistration Act to enrol under the Military Service Act. or To' men who have changed their place oi abode since registration to notify their ! new iwldi esses. It has been ion,ml ■ necessarv to proclaim the eniolnient | of both divisions t>»' the reserves sim- ! uttani'ou.sly in order to protect the men 'in the second division. The Act emI powers any constable. aite.i the euioli ineut oi the first division has been proi claimed, to ijuestiou ally man who ul\ ! reasonably lie supposed to be mili- ! tary age. and to detain him if lie is I not satislied with his answers. The 5 Act a In) forbids an employer to employ ' n reservist who is not enrolled. For i the prot. ction ol reservists certificates [ of enrolment will be issued to ever\ juaii who is enrolled, and the proilncj tion of this certificate will be a .suflic- ( ieii.t answer to any constable, and sutj iieient proof to any employer ut : eiirotIme in. But th its certificate cannot ' isued to a man who belongs to the sec- | olid division until the enrolment of that ! division is proclaimed, hence the neces- . fiity to proclaim both divisions so that | ~ri'rv man of military a-e may receive 1 this' evidence of lis enrolment. It 1 should be distinctly understood 'ihat I while the compulsory provisions of Hie ! \ r t will not hp applied to the second j division ol' the reserve until the lirrt 1 .division is exhausted.. that I act doe.-

not relievo any "inn of military age m 1 either division of hi* oh:iiiatnm with ''eI spect to enrolniont. or of liotilying any i chnn,u:e of address. The first division ! consist* of reservists who are numnrrktl

men or married men whose marriage took place since Ist May, 1915, unless they hare a child under Mi years ol age by a previous marriage, or widowers wit'.i no oliihfren under 10, or men who are divorced or judicially separated from their wives and who have no children under 16. or men who arc divorced or .judicially separated! from their wives and who have no children under 16 years of age, and the second division of sill other reservists. During this enrolment period the widest publicity will be given to the obligation imposedi bv the Ac! on reservists and employers, by means advertisement in all newspapers and by posters, placards and lantern i-lides conspicuously displayed from end to end of the Dominion. Tli" display of these posters, placards and slides w ; l! ho -made compulsorv as a war necessity: regulations to lv> isued under the War Retrulations Act. The hoard also inte'ids to issue a statement clearly seting forth t he provisions of the Act with respect to the duties of reservists and of employers. and: the penalties they AviTl incur if they neglect or refuse to discharge these duties. Every man of military age should make it his particular business to particularly read this statement as well as the advertisement or posters and placards which will appear on Friday, the Ist September next, and subsequently during the enrolment period;. The Act has two main functions: (a) the enrolment of the reserve and (b) the calling ii)> ol the reserve. It is prol)o cil to enrol the reserve within the period stated, but there will be no calling up under the Act so long as voluntary recruiting produces the -number of men required for each reinforcement draft-. W. F. MAS'SEY, Chairman.