Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 18th, 1917. MILITARY RESERVISTS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star WEDNESDAY, JULY 18th, 1917. MILITARY RESERVISTS

During the last week on several occasions the Government Statistician has given public notice to all members of the Expeditionary Reserve Force, that those who have not obtained their certificates of enrolment should loso no liLme in applying for them and so avoid the possibility of much annoyance and trouble to themselves There are quite a large number of certificates lying in the various post offices awaiting 'their being applied for, despite the fact that each Reservist for whom there is a certificate has been informed that his certificate awaits him at the Post Office Many of tlie.se certificates have boon lying at the Post Office for many months, and the letter carriers have been investigating as to whether the reservists are still at the addresses given by.them when they registered. In respect of those reservists not found at the addresses given by them, their certificates are returned to the Government Statistician, who, hands over to the police authorities tho duty of tracing tho reservists. In respect of other reservists whose certificates are lying at the Post Offico, they have received notice that if they do not claim theii certificates within seven days, the certificates will be returned to the Government Statistician,. who will instruct the police authorities to take action. Tho possession .«nd production of orenrolment certificate is sufficient answer to the questions which any constable is empowered to ask men of military age under Sections 40, .43. and 44 of the Military Service Act, 1916. ■ Under the last-mentioned section any man who fails to answer certain questions is liable, on summary conviction, to imprisonment not exceeding three months, or a fine nob exceeding £SO. Reservists who change their address must notify such alteration, and failure to .do so renders them liable to a fine, not exceeding £2O. From last Wednesday forms have been made available at’all Post Offices to reservists in the Second Division, upon which to record v any alteration in the number of their children from *the number mentioned when they registered. The statement as to number of children is to be as oh July 11-th, 1917, and any reservist in 1 the Second Division "ho desires to fill in the form must do so within ten days from Wednesday last. The form need not be filled in by any reservist who has already furnished the Government Statistician with sufficient information regarding the hum bar of his children to enable the reservist to be properly classified as on July 11th; Idle instructions issued to postmasters state that it is particularly desired that these forms bo filled in by postal officers, in order to guard.as far as possible against error, and to ensure prompt despatch. For tho purpose of tho classification, the torn! “child” is used irrespectively of age, and includes legally adopts before May last, 1915, a stepchild if the reservist married tho mother of that child before May Ist 1915. A child who has been legally adopted bv any other persoD may not be counted as a child of his natural parents. Any son of a reservist who has died whilo a member of any of his Majesty’s military or naval forces engaged in the present war may be counted ns if he had boon still living.