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Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1917, Page 2

' The final call of the first division liavinrr been made, the authorities now ! have tho task of cleaning up all stragglers aud delinquents who liavo failed j to respond to the legal and the simple ! call of duty. It was reported recently ; that of the previous ballots, there were still some thousands of men unaccount--led for. This is certainly not creditable to the work of the lteermting Department. Complaint- was made in times ‘ past of tile laxity in dealing with eases where reservists who should have been , ia camp, were still at large in private employ thus doubly defying the law. | It is certainly a surprise to find that so great a number of eligible, men are still roaming at large, ignoring the terms of military service, and permitting others to go to the front in their place. With the First Division exhausted the country will now be on the eve of calling up the Second Division. Tills act is going to involve the Dominion in a greatly ine reused liability for the sup-

port of dependants. There is all the more reason why the authorities should exert themselves to the utmost in searching out the stragglers of the First Division. Lately Recruiting committees were disbanded, hut it would appear these bodies could still sunnly a useful purpose in helping to trace out the missing men. In the absence of this help Returned Soldiers could he- employed very fittingly by the Defence Department in scouring the country and seeing that every single eligible man was properly accounted for, and bis absence from the training camp made quite clear. A purging system of this nature would he very helpful in postponing the time for calling up the Second Division.

Tt would appear that the financing o( the milling company’s scheme for converting their tramway bridge over the Mikonui river into a road and traffic bridge, is not going to present any special difficulties to the local bodies. Both in the provision of the principal sum, the rate of interest, and the time of repayment, a very fair and reasonable offer has been made to the County Council. For the sum of £123/7/3 pa.id annually for twenty years, the debt incurred and all accruing interest would be discharged. This is not a liability to give any real concern, particularly Ter the reason that if a railway bridge had been erected; and road traffic had boon combined as part of the duty ol the structure, the local bodies would have had to pay a larger annual sum lor all time for the privilege of using the crossing. In the scheme now being taken up the period of payment is limited, so that the liability docs it... go on indefinitely a.s would ltave been the easo under the major scheme it was proposed to carry out originally. This certainly makes the present offer the more attractive still, and at the same time it gives the satisfacion of providing a safe and regular crossing at all times, whatever the condition ot the river. It is quite unnecessary to refer to the need or urgency of the work, that has long been recognised In view of this it is pleasing certainly to find the general proposal for the provision of the bridge such a favourable one, nnd one which commands itself ns a business-like proposition to fill a long felt want, and one most urgently required to meet the growing needs of South Westland.