RESERVE BALLOT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1639, 18 November 1916, Page 3

RESERVE BALLOT.

THE FIRST DRAWING. NAMES TO BE GAZETTED. After much j (reparation and many tests, the Alilitary Service ballot machinery Avas put into actual use for the first time on Thursday morning. The Government Statistician (Mr Malcolm Fraser) Avas in charge of Ihe operations,, and Ihe supervising Magistrate was Mr S. E. M’Carthy, S.AL The invited spectators were:—-The Mayor (Air J. P. Luke), the President of the Trades Council (Mr AT. J. Reardon), and six Press representatives. Xft one else was present who had not work to do in connection with the ballot; save for two photographers and a cinema I ograph operator. Nowadays everything is recorded for the moving pictures, and the first ballot under (he Alilitary Service Act was no exception. Tho cinema came and was clicking aAvay busily as tho Magistrate, Avith Pressmen and- other spectators grouped around, checked the two sets of marbles —one to draAV the order of the boxes, mid one to dniAv the numbers in (he reserve. The process was identically the same as adopted at Ihe various (rials, hut (he greatest care was taken with every operation to avoid mistake or Cue possibility of fraud. Naturally, this made the process somewhat sloAvor, hut no lime Avas lost, for all the assistants knew their Avork thoroughly. A commencement Avas made shortly after t) o'clock, and by half-past ten all of the 1!H cardboxes containing the Register of the First Division had been ranged on the tables.

The order of drawing having been carefully checked, the 40 young ladies who assist in the second portion of the ballot were seid; for. They filed in, while the klnema clicked, and took their stations aiong the tables, each lady having four card-boxes under her supervision. /Thou the drawing of dim actual ballot was begun. A marble was taken from the drums, and the ladies turned up the corresponding card in each of (he drawers. The .Magistrate then walked, along (lie tables and took out those cards which bore the numbers of recruiting districts for which men were required. As (he cards were drawn

assistants recorded (lie numbers arid, (he districts, Hereby providing a check should any person secrete or destroy a card. The first drawing yielded 120 names. The balance of the 194 cards had been returned to the drawers, since ihey were <4l her blanks or represented districts Nos. 1,7, 12, or 20, for which no recruits were wanted. The cards taken out of (he register were held by the Government Statistician till the Magistrate had completed his round, and they were then passed on to a party of writers, who transcribed the names, ages, occupations, etc., of the reservists thus selected. The list (has compiled will he forwarded by (he Statistician to the Defence authorities, after a preliminary inspection has been made at the Dasc Records Department, to see that no names of men killed or wounded or at tho front are included.

The Minister for Defence, r (IIon. Jas. Alien), with the secretary of the Recruiting Board (Air J. D. Gray), attended during the morning and enquired from the spectators if (hey were satisfied with (he working of tlie machinery. All assured him that (hey were.

It was expected that the ballot, would he completed in about twelve’ hours, since, though (he number of roe mils required for the two drafts for the whole of the Dominion iq 1,379, a considerably greater number must he drawn to allow for medical rejections and exemptions.

The Minister for Defence told a “Post” reporter on Thursday that: names of men selected hv ballot would not lie available for publication until officially gazetted.