Military Service.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 21 September 1917, Page 3

Military Service.

The next and last ballot concerning tae bvcst Division is due to be drawn next Tuesday. There are abont 7500 men, and as these are all required for the one draw a Bill ie now bsfore Parliament to obviate the need of a ballot and permit the gazetting of all the remaining names. It is understood that if the Bill is passed by Parliament this week the names will be gazetted on Tuesday, but if the passage of the Bill is delayed there may be a corresponding delay in the issue of the Gazette.

_Ver y few men of the Division are left in this district, two being about the highest number for every centre. There are two in Naseby "and two we understand at Patearoa. The enrolment of all classes of the Second Division has been formally gazetted. J

Recruiting districts have now been abolished.

A return laid on the table of the House of Representatives by Sir James Allen states that the number of men of all ranks of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force returned to the Dominion up to July 31 last was 10.917. The reasons for their return were as follow - —Wounded, 3588; sickness, 4822; on duty or on furlough, 500; time expired, 1; refused to be inoculated, 46; misconduct, 121; contagious diseases, 127; commissions with reinforcements, 55; family reasons, 9; inefficiency, 10; employment in New Zealand, 1; reason not notified, 5: from Samoa, 1632. An interesting return laid on the table of tha House of Representatives by the Minister of Defence, showed the marital condition of all ranks of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force embarked on active- service up to and including the 28th Reinforcements. Of a total of 78,990 embarked 1707 returned to duty. Of the remainder 69,091 were single, 215 were widowers, and 7977 were married. Of the married men 2900 had no children, 2510 had one child, 1298 two children 677 three, 303 foar, 160 five, 70 six', and 59 over iix.

Wellington, September 19. A warrant calling up the balance of the First Division will be issued on Monday, October 1, and a Gazette containing the names will be issued probably on the following Tuesday or Wednesday.