CANADA'S SERVICE ACT.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1917, Page 4

CANADA'S SERVICE ACT.

requirements outlined

Per Press Association. —Copyright

Ottawa, Jane 12 The Military Rervice Act provides for a maximum of 100,000 : men, in ten classifications, beginning j with single men aged 20, upwards. ! All men in Canada are assumed to be liable for service. j Three tribunals will be appointed to select them. | (I)—A local tribunal, the . personnel whereof will not be appointed by Government but Parliament, to allow exemptions for various causes. (2) —An appeal tribunal composed of provincial judges. | (3)— A final appeal to a Supreme Court judge. j Borden in introducing the Bill, reviewed the course of the war and -said Canada was determined at the ! earliest to do its part and there was | up reviewing of thaf determination. In January 1916, Canada was pledged for half a million men and no opposition was offered to the J pledge which must be made good. Volunteering had failed and Canada had either to recruit compulsorily enough men to keep, four divisions at the front, or to allow them to become extinct. M.en were urgently, insistently and imperatively needed in ' every branch of the service. Seventy thousand men were required in the next seven months, to maintain the Canadian Army, | Burden denied that the Imperial authorities had in any way influenced the decision. The only difference between the proposed conscription and that provided under the existing military law was that selective conscription would enable Canada to provide the men without the dislocation of industries and agriculture. I The measure provides that anyone | when a class was ,oalled out and rc- ! fuses to come, .is deemed guilty of desertion and is’liable to three years’ . imprisonment i Borden offered to receive any j amendments that Parliament desired. /• Borden added that for the year ending May Ist, 85,000 had-enlisted in Canada anch the casualties were 75,000. During April and May the ’ enlistments’ were 8,000 and the casualties 24,000.