SECOND DIVISION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 August 1941, Page 6

SECOND DIVISION

DUTY OF REGISTRATION

POSITION OF EMPLOYERS.

STATEMENT BY MINISTER

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day

In a statement today regarding certificates of enrolment for Second Division reservists, the Minister of National Service (Mr Semple) said it had come to his notice that many employers are threatening employees with dismissal or the withholding of wages until they can produce evidence that they have registered under the National Service Emergency Regulations. “While the employers’ action is commendable in every respect under the Regulations, as they are liable on conviction to a substantial fine if they employ for more than seven days an unregistered reservist.” said the Minister, “I should like to point out that, as all certificates have not yet been posted to reesrvists. any action taken in this direction at this juncture is rather premature. The few thousand .certificates still on hand will'be posted in a day or so, but even then there will be hundreds of reservists whose enrolment forms are subject to further inquiry or investigation. It may be some time before these latter cases are finally cleared up. but in'order to protect employers and employees, each reservist will receive an interim acknowledgment of his registration. As soon as this work has been completed, a further announcement will be made in the Press, requesting all employers to make a complete check of their staff, as from a specified date, so as to ensure that all eligible for enrolment have performed this duty.”