CALL TO ARMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 February 1941, Page 4

CALL TO ARMS

■«> FOURTH BALLOT SHORTLY FOR OVERSEAS SERVICE. I - I QUOTA OP 19.000 MEN. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. 1 he fourth ballot under the National Service Emergency Regulations is to bp held shortly, rhe .Minister of National Service. Mr Semple announced last evening that the men drawn in this ballot would be required for overseas service, most of them being for the seventh reinforcements. though he understood that a small number might be required to make up shortages of the sixth reinforcements. The Minister said it was expected that a further ballot for Territorial . service would be undertaken as soon as f pc .:^ ! u e after this oVGrsea s ballot. The number of men to be selected is 19.000 and the names will be gazet- !* d . ° n M * rch 4 ’” said Mr - Semple. Eveiy effort will be made to have the men medically’ examined at the earliest possible moment and as the appeal beards are now functioning, hearing of appeals will be handled with all expedition so that the men concerned and their employers will have sufficient time to make any necessary domestic or business arrangements. As ! he „ case in (he previous overseas ballot, all appeals against service must be sent to the Director of National Service at Wellington for transmission to armed forces appeal boards. Many people are under the impression that appeals can be lodged at any time, in fact some individuals attempt to appeal when the men concerned are actually’ in camp.” ‘he Minister explained that (1) Anpeals cannot be lodged before a man is called up by ballot for service. (2) when a man is called up. the appeal period is 10 days from the date of the Gazette and in respect of this ballot the appeals must be delivered or posted to the Director of National Service by March 14. (3) Appeals forwarded alter that date can be heard only at the discretion of the respective armed forces appeal boards and these bodies require to be satisfied that the delay m lodging an appeal was caused by* a mistake or some other reasonable cause. Even these boards are limited in their discretionary’ powers as they’ are able to extend the time for only a further month, that is to say, any appeals received after April m cannot be heard. <4) The Director of National Service, however, has the right to institute an appeal at any time on the ground of public interest "I have explained this in detail,” said the Minister, “so that all will be aware of the position and the misunderstandings which were apparent in connection with the last overseas bal-

lot. due to lack of knowledge of the provisions of the regulations, yvill, to some extent, be avoided. Transfers to Air Force. The Minister also stated that men selected for service will be given the option of transferring to the Air Force if they have the required qualifications. "To enable this to be carried out expeditiously," said Mr Semple, "arrangements.are being made for an application form to be sent to each man called up at the same time as the individual notices are posted advising the men that they have been drawn in the ballot." When asked if any consideration had been given to the question of a further ballot for Territorial Forces, Mr. Semple replied that the matter yvas under discussion, but as many of the men selected for overseas service had previously been drawn for Territorial service, which they would not now undertake, it was expected that a ballot for Territorial service would bo undertaken as soon as possible after the overseas ballot. The Minister stated, however, that further information would bo given on this subject at an early date.