MILITARY NOTES. PREFERENCE AND PROTECTION.

Taihape Daily Times, 13 September 1918, Page 6

MILITARY NOTES.

PREFERENCE AND PROTECTION.

FIRST CLASS "D" BALLOT. POSITION OF RECRUITING. WELLINGTON, September 11 The decision of tie Government to told the first ballot of men in Class D ■of thq Second Division) in January •will mean that all recruits from this •class who are passed as medically fit, and do not appeal, should be available ' for the fifty-third reinforcement draft concentrating from April 29 to May 3. The Government Statistician has approximately 20,600 names on his register of reservists, with three children, and after the ballot in January there yv)sL}\ |herefore s/cjme 15,600 for future ballots. The fact that at August 24 there were 5177 fit A men under orders to concentrate for the September, October, November, and January reinforcement drafts, was taken into consideration when it was decided to postpone the first ballot of Class D until nest yean With reference to the decision of the military authorities not to accept men with more than three children -under 16 years of age for the Expeditionary Force, it is explained that this must not be regarded as an indication that reservists with more than three children will never be required for service. At present when men of Classes A 8.,C. and cacretions from First Division are sufficient, to supply all the reinforcements required it is consider- i «d inadvisable to send aboard any men jwith greater family responsibilities. "Whether they will be required at some future date, however, time and Jthe progress of the war alone will show

DEALING WITH I»JKJJ*'AUJUXXiJs.K>. Tlie military authorities are making <BVery effort .to trace defaulters under the Military Service Act, and with a ■view to assisting to this end further instructions were recently issued to districts; groups, and camps, by the adjutant-general. In the ease of men who fail to concentrate for the purpose of proceeding to camp, warrants for their arrest are issued "by their group commanders. The director of personal services issue the warrant where absentees from medical examination are concerned. In the past it has been customary to 'tend medical defaulters into into camp for compulsory home service if they are classed C2. after arrest, but the adjutant-general states that experience has shown that this •procedure is not altogether satisfactory In future therefore, all punishment will foe commensurate with the offence, fcoth as a punishment and as a deterring example, compulsory home service being regarded as no punishment. Tlie director of personal services is also issuing every month a pamphlet containing the description of all deserters from camp and it is intended that these deserters shall enjoy very scant liberty before they are brought back to face the inevitable court-martial. GRADUATED TRAINING.

In discussing the recent decision of the medical authorities that no man of over 40 years of age should be sent to the special CI-training camp at Peatherston, Lieutenant-Colonel E. E. aPoritt, president of the Special Reexamination Medical Board, explained that this camp provided a course of graduated training which was designed for the development of promising recruits to the standard required for service aboard with the Expeditionary Force. By the time a man had passed 40 years there was little likelihood of improving him by a course of graduated training, as he was physically "set." It was therefore obviously a waste of time and money to send him to the CI camp. THE FIELD ARTILLERY.

The Eield Artillery is a very popular branch of the Expeditionary Force, and many recruits do not realise that all selections for this unit are made after the men arrive in camp. The conditions under which men arc posted to the Field Artillery are that they must have had at least two years' efficient service in either Imperial or colonial artillery units, or, if a shorter term of service, they must have held Tank as a non-commissioned officer. If they do not possess these qualifications they are not likely to be selected

MEDICAL BOARD ITINERARIES. Complaints arc sometimes' voiced by small centres that residents who have have been called up by ballot have to journey to some other town for medical examination. When this matter was referred to the director of recruiting, lie pointed out that the itineraries of the boards were based to a great extent upon the numbers of men to be dealt with in the different areas as disclosed by the ballot gazettes. It was essential that the medical boards should be kept fully employed, and they could therefore, visit only those centres where there was a sufficient mumber of recruits to provide at least one full day's work, which on an average meant from fifty to sixty men

THE EMPIRE' SECURITY. LONDON, September 10. Mr W. F. Mhssey, in an article in the Pall Mall Gazette says that while the adoption of moderate Imperial preference might mean slightly raising the prices of a few commodities, the increase, rightly viewed, would be merely the premium wc would pay for our security . The only measure of protection that preference involved would be protection of Empire, and not specially favoured industries. Surely, the security of the Empire transcended any fiscal creed or policy. Unless we achieve unity in commerce the Empire would be gravely prejudiced.