A STERN CALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1918, Page 5

A STERN CALL.

.O,— : RECRUITING OF HEADS OF FAMILIES. THE CLASS 0 MEN. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, April 25. Tho big ballot issued to-day represents the first call upon married men with children. Tt is anticipated that something like 4000 of the Class B rearrvists (married men with one child each) will be taken into camp, and this call involves consequences for other groups of reservists. It will be harder lo get exempt ion in the future than it has hceu in the past, since the place of every man exempted or granted any prolonged, period of suspension will .have (o be, taken presently' with a Class C man or a Class D man. For the same reason there is to be an overhauling of the exemptions already -.minted. Many of these exemptions will have to lie cancelled. "Undue, hardship" is a relative term, and it'ir- being -riven a new meaning now that the stern call of war is coming to the heads of families. The authorities intend to call up thfc balance of Class I!, some SOOO, ncx-t month. The date of the first call on the Class C men is still not quite settled. A ballot may be taken in this Class iluriii'.r dune. Probably this wilt he'the case, but the number of men drawn U likclv to be comparatively small, since if the three monies' leave rule is still in operation the C men will not be taken into camp within the period of five months fixed by the. Imperial authorities for the supply of veinforeemenls on the increased scale. The future scale of reinforcements is dependent, of course, on .the events in France and Flanders, am! it would be rash to make anv predictions. Be.iervists of Class C had better build Iheir plans on the assumption that, thov may have to enter camp in September or October.