MILITARY SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1917, Page 5

MILITARY SERVICE.

THE PROPOSED "REDUCTION IN AGE.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchuroh, Yesterday. The Christehureh Presbytery resolved to enter an emphatic protest, against the reduction of the. military sendee age. Mr. J. McC'ombs, M.P.J in an interview, declared that 2000 men in some of the ballots had not answered to their names. The Government should take steps to secure them, which would postpone the calling up of the Second DiviBIOU.

FURTHER PROTESTS.

Wellington, Last Night. The New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association has forwarded to the Minister of Defence a letter protesting against the reduction of the age limit under the Conscription Act to nineteen. The Wellington Typographical Union carried a resolution condemning the proposal to lower the age of recruits. At the Karori Borough Council meeting to-night a motion, protesting against Ihe reduction of the .age limit, was negatived on the casting vote .of the Mayor, who explained that he knew several youths under the age who had gone to the. front, and youths of 19 who enrolled would be nearly twenty "by the time their training was finished. iPahiatua, Last Night.

The Borough Council unanimously resolved to protest against the rcducedage for military service. It was considered there were many men over forty-six in ilhc First Division more fitted for the front than youths of nineteen. The Mayor remarked thai a while, ago the n nthorities were discouraging tire enlistment of youths under twenty, bat-now they wanted to conscript them.

rOnr Parliamentary reporter' wired late last, night that the tone of the Defence Minister's reply to Mr. Witty ijjft the impression that the proposal had been abandonedj