MILITARY SERVICE BILL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1556, 27 May 1916, Page 4

MILITARY SERVICE BILL.

The above Bill was read in the House a first time on Wednesday night. Its provisions are as follows : EXPEDITIONARY FORCE RESERVE. An expeditionary force reserve is to be established, consisting of every male natural-born British subject who is for the time being of military age, and who is at the passing of this Act, or subsequently becomes, resident in New Zealand, with the following exceptions : (a) Members of any expeditionary force raised under (he principal Act ; (b) Men who have, whether before or after the passing of (his Act, been discharged from the expeditionary force after service in that force beyond the seas ; and (c) Men undergoing a sentence of imprisonment for a term not less than one year, or in confinement as of unsound mind. The reserve is to consist of two divisions, described as the First Division and the Second Division. The First Division will consist of Reservists who, on the passing of the Act, are : (a) Unmarried men ; or (b) Married men whose marriage took place subsequently to the fourth day of August, nineteen hundred and fourteen, unless they have children by a previous marriage ; or (c) Widowers with no children; or (d) Men whose marriage has been dissolved or vjho are judicially separated from their wives by decree of judicial separation, separation order, or otherwise, and who have no children, otherwise, and who have no children. The Second Division of the Reserve shall consist of all other reservists. The Governor-in-Council may from time to time divide the Second Division into such (lasses (if any) as he thinks fit. SCHEME OF ENROLMENT. At any time after the passing of the Act the Governor may by proclamation direct the enrolment of the First Division of the Reserve, and subsequently of the Second Division or any Hass or Hasses of that division. The Government Statistician will then prepare a register of such division, class, or classes, and will make use of the National Register and all other sources of information. The register is to be corrected from time to time as required in order that it may be, as far as practicable, a correct and complete record of the men who should be enrolled. Nothing done under the Act is to bo invalid by reason of any ernfror detect in the register. If the Government Statistician is in doubt about the status of a man, then the man is to be enrolled, and the register is to constitute sulficicnt evidence that the men have been properly enrolled unless the contrary is proved. CALLING UP THE MEN. After enrolment has been ordered and during the present war with Germany, the Minister for Defence may by warrant authorise the Commandant of the Forces fo call up from a division, Hass or Hasses, such number of men as the Minister thinks necessary. The number of men required will be selected by lot from the men whose names appear in the register of the division, Hass, or classes to which the warrant relates. The number of men required may be selected at once or by instalments. The selection by lot will be made by the Government Statistician in the presence of a stipendiary magistrate. The exact method of selection is not defined. The Minister for Defence will publish the names of the selected men and declare that they are called up for service in the Expeditionary Forces. Every man so called up shall be deemed on the day following the publication of the notice to be transferred from the Reserve to the Expeditionary Forces, and shall re-

main a member until be is discharged as if he had voluntarily enlisted and taken the oath of allegiance. A man who has been called up for service in this way may be instmeted to report at any time or place. If he fails to obey he will be liable to punishment under the Army Act tor desertion or for absenting himself without leave. THE UNFIT MEN. If satisfied that any man summoned for service is permanently unlit for active service beyond the seas, the Commandant shall either : (a) Discharge him from the Expeditionary Force and from the Reserve ; or (b) Discharge him from the Expeditionary Force, in which ease he shall bo deemed to he retransferred to fhe division or class of the reserve from which he was called up ; or (e) Exempt him from foreign service, in which case he shall remain a member of the Expeditionary Force liable for military service in New Zealand in such capacity as the Commandant from time to time thinks fit.

Military service in this connection means “any service in connection with or for the purposes of the present war.” RIGHT OF APPEAL. Every man who is called upon for service with the Expeditionary Forces is to have the right of appeal to a Military Service Board on any of the following grounds ; (a) That when so called up he was not a member of the reserve ; (b) That when so called up from any division or class of the reserve he was a member (if some other division or class the callingup of which had not been authorised by the Minister for Defence under this Act. (c) That by reason of his,occupation his calling-up tor military service is contrary lo the public interest ; (d) That by reason of his domestic circumstances or for any other reason his calling-up for military service will be a cause of undue hardship to himselt or others. The Military Service Boards will consist of members appointed by I he Governor. The boards will have the powers of Commissions of Inrpiiry. An appeal may be instituted by the employer of a man called up lor service, on behalf of that appellant with or without his knowledge or consent. The dismissal of an appeal so instituted shall not preclude an appeal by the appellant himself, whether on the same or any other grounds. In the case of men employed by the Crown, the right of appeal conferred on employers may be exercised either by the permanent head of the department in which such men are employed or by the Minister administering that department. ENROLMENT IN THE RESERVE. The Bill provides that when the enrolment of any division or class has been proclaimed, every man who belongs to that division or class shall make application in writing for enrolment within fourteen days. Men who become eligible by attaining the age of twenty years or by becoming resident in New Zealand must similarly apply. A man who fails to apply will he liable to a fine of not less than £lO, or to imprisonment for not less than one month, and may be summoned for immediate service in the Expeditionary Forces. A SPECIAL CLAUSE.

Special provision is made tor families that include two or more brothers belonging to the First. Division. The brothers may be required to appear before a Military Service Board at any time to show cause why they should not be called up for service. If any man under this clause fails to establish grounds of appeal, or fails to appear, he will be deemed to be called up tor service. RULES OF EVIDENCE. If in any prosecution under the

Act a (piestion arises as to whether the accused is a member of the Reserve, or of any division or Hass, the affirmative shall be presumed until the contrary is proved. NAMES AND ADDRESSES. Every reservist who uses any name other than that by which he was customarily known, on November Ist, 1915, shall be guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction by imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months, or by a fine not exceeding £SO. Every man who, after being enrolled in the Reserve, changes his place of abode, shall within fourteen days thereafter give notice of the fact and of his new abode lo the Government. Statistician.

Every man of military age- who, before his enrolment in the Reserve, changes or has changed his place of abode as set out in the return furnished by him under the National Registration AH, 1015, shall within fourteen days after the passing of (he Bill, or after such change of abode (whichever date is the later) give notice of the fact and of his new abode by registered letter addressed to the Government Statistician. OFFENCES. Persons who wilfully deceive or attempt lo deceive a Military Service Board, or the Government Statistician, or who attempt to prevent the operation of the law in other ways as far as tin* military system is concerned, will la* liable to imprisonment for any term not exceeding five years. PENALTIES FOR EMPLOYERS. It is provided that every person shall be guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction by a fine of not less than £2O and not more (ha n £IOO, who, at any time after the enrolment of any division or Hass of the reserve has been proclaimed, employs in hs service or continues in such employment for more than seven days any man who belongs to that division or class and who is not enrolled therein, unless the defendant proves that he believed on reasonable grounds that the man did not belong to that division or Hass or was enrolled therein.

Every person who employs or retains in his service - any man who ha* deserted from or is absent without leave from the Expeditionary Force shall be guilty of an offhnee punishable on summary conviction by imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months or by a fine not less than £SO and not more than £IOO, unless the defendant proves that he did not know that the man so employed or retained in his service was a deserter or absent without leave. POWERS OF POLICE. Wide powers of interrogation are given to the police, who may arrest without warrant any man reasonably suspected of evasion or falsehood. After the enrolment of the First Division, no person may refuse'to give to the authorities any information in his possession relating to the name, occupation, age, abode, nationality, or domestic condition of any man who may reasonably be supposed to be liable for service. THE SAMOAN FORCE. Men (‘ailed up from (he reserve for service with the Expeditionary Force may be transferred to the Samoan Force. VOLUNTA RY ENLISTMENT. The final clause of the Bill provides that the Governor may from time to time proclaim that the voluntary enlistment of reservists or of any division or Hass of reservists in the Expeditionary Force shall, at a day to be specified in the Proclamaiton, cease either throughout New Zealand or in any recruiting district or districts specified in the Proclamation. Any such proclamation may be at any time revoked.

The Bill was read a first time in (he House on Wednesday, and set down for its second reading.