MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1917, Page 4

MILITARY SERVICE BOARDS.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER. PERSONNEL OP ADDITIONTAI BOARDS. By Telegraph.—Press Association.'. Wellington, January 24. The personnel of the additional Milb Ury Service Hoards, which experi«no« has shown to be necessary, lias now been completed. A new permanent b-ii.rd has been established in each military district, a.ml will he known as tho second, Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago Military Service Boards respectively. In addition, it has been deemed expedient to appoint two further boards to enable the present largo number of appeals now pending to bo heard in the nexj? two or threo week?. TOpse boards will be known as the third Wellington .and third Canterbury Board* respectively. It is not anticipated that they will be required for longer than a month or six weeks, but it is imperative that all appeals from tho first and third ballots, and from section .V>, should be disposed of not later than the middle of February. ' At first, it was intimated that only one stipendiary magistrate would be available to net as chairman. Appeals v-(re, therefore, made through tho presidents of the several law societies to members of the legal profession to assist tihe Government by offering tlieir services. It was fully realised that the acceptance of the position would entail great sacrifice, and, in view of that fact, T guatly appreciate the offers of assist-, anee that were freely made by eminent members of the profession in all part* of the Dominion, and take this opportunity to publicly express to them ilie sitwere thanks of the Government. Every; endeavor is now being made to complete the arrangements so that the new boards mav start hearing appeals forthwith. The chairmen of tho existing hoards have been asked to confer with their colleagues with a, view to so arranging t'he appeals now pendine that, all ease may be disponed of with the' grentc't c'.pcdition. This is especially de-inhie in view of the, fact that.'a heavy ballot will be taken early in Febriuirv to make good any shortage? then existing in the 27th and 2Sth Reinforcement*.

I wish again to make it perfectly clear filial the calling up of two reinforcements in February does not mean that we are making any increase in the number of men we are sending to tlio front. This course is being adopted ' simply to give a period of two months between the ballot and the date when the men are to go into camp for training, because experience has shown that the present interval of one month is finite inadequate in which to hoar appeals, conduct the medical examination*, and. allow the time renuired hr tfho men in which to arrange their affair*. It h-as been decided to nrrnnga for the medical examination of all men called uii for service immediately following the publication of the flowtto containing the results of the ballot. Up to the present appellants bavo not been mcdicnllv examined until after the hearing of their appeals, Tn practice this procedure has proved most inconvenient and unsatisfactory, boffli to thn boards and to the apnellants. It is wholly in the interest of every man called up thet, lie should know nt the earliest possible moment whether he will be classed as, fit or unfit. Tf a man is pawed as unfit lie n-fcd not continue his appeal, as he can either write withdrawing it or allow the case to go by default. He will then be transferred to the homo service section and given indefinite leave without, pay, and will be free for the time being to continue his ordinary civil life. Tf he is passed.as fit and is appealing then he will know that the oniw is cm him to prove to the Board tTmt Ik should not be called up for service Immediately after he is medically examined every man will be given the opportunity to attest. Attestation at tho same time as medical examination will, undoubtedly, save the time, of tfie. recruit and the TWonce officers, and it nit appellant is willing to be attested tin « he can accept the positive as<ninan6. tl-it the fact of attesting will in no waj affect or prejudice his position bcfoi\ the Military Service ■ Board when hit appeal is lieard. Any man passed aC medically fit, who prefers not to be attested, will be attested after his appeal has been determined and dismissed by the Board.

There seems to be an impression in some quarters that men drawn in the ballot arc not given equal opportunity with volunteers for (-.election as n.c.o/J on probation. That idea is quite wrong, n? no distinction of any kind is made in selecting men for the n.e.o. •plftss, and ba.llottod men have just the same opportunity as voluntary recruits for these, pis-itions. I would like that fact to bo clearly understood. ■T. ALLEN, Chairman of Recruiting Boar*.