15

H.—l9

Medical Examinations.

In the early part, of 1918 the Government decided to put into force section 50 of the Military Service Act, 1916, and to call up by ballot under section 10 of that Act the Maoris of the WaikatoManiapoto District, the Gazette of the first Maori ballot being published on the 6th May, 19.18. To deal with the medical examination of Maoris a special District Medical Board was set up. Similarly, a Military Service Board was established to deal with appeals lodged by or on behalf of these Natives. At the outset considerable trouble was encountered in dealing with the Maoris, but as time went on matters improved, until finally with the drawing of the fourth ballot (the last drawn) little or no trouble was experienced. In the four ballots 552 were drawn, these being disposed of as follows : — Struck off (dead, left New Zealand permanently, in prison over one year, &c.) . . 76 Appeals adjourned sine die .. .. .. .. .. 27 Sent to camp .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 99 Under orders for camp on 12th November, 1918 .. .. .. ..19 Temporarily medically unfit .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Fit appellants whose appeals were pending .. .. .. ..15 Awaiting medical examination .. .. ;. .. .. ..51 Lost or temporarily unavailable .. ..' .. .. '.. .. 117 Classed C 2 '.. .. 146 Total .. .. .. .. .. .. ..552 Voluntary recruiting continued brisk, owing no doubt to Reservists preferring not to see, their names published in the ballot Gazettes. The, total number of volunteers dealt with from the 25th September, 1916, until the 12th November, 1918, was 24,105. This included Maoris, Rarotongans, and other islanders. Of these, 13,939 were found medically fit and despatched to camp, 720 being under orders for camp. The total number of men dealt with under section 34 of the, Military Service Act up to the 12th November, 1918, was 213, of whom 50 were despatched to camp for active service and 47 for compulsory home service; the final position as at the 12th November, 1918, regarding men dealt with under section 35 of the Act being 2,876, of whom 880 were found medically fit and despatched to camp. During the year thirty-two religious objectors had their appeals allowed by the Military Service Boards under section 18 (I) (c) of the Military Service Act, and were under orders to report for duty at the Central Development Farm, Levin, on the 16th December last. Owing to the building for their accommodation not being completed, the Agricultural Department could not accept these men earlier: consequently, with the Armistice intervening, orders issued to these men to report at Levin wire cancelled, and the men were demobilized, together with those wdio had been employed at the farm since the 7th January, 1918. In September last a scrutiny of all files in the office of the Director of Recruiting was commenced by an experienced staff, and a very careful check was made to ensure that these files were complete in every detail and in proper order. This work involved some 165,000 files, and was practically completed in March last, with the exception, of a number of cases which necessitated further inquiries being made from other branches of the, Defence Department and camps. Co-ordinate with the, scrutiny of files, sheets were prepared in numerical order showing action taken, medical status, age, country of birth, and the final disposal of every man dealt with. With the suspension of recruiting a, commencement was immediately made with a view to curtailing, the staffs required for the carrying-out of the Military Service Act, Military Service Boards and District Medical Boards being abolished by the end of the year 1918, and Group District Staffs brought down to almost normal strength. When recruiting had censed there still remained a, vast amount of work to be completed in the office of the Director of Recruiting, including the compiling of various necessary lengthy returns. The staff, however, was gradually demobilized, until on the 31st March, 1919, there, remained only the skeleton staff selected to carry on the work of the branch. On this date the Director of Recruiting relinquished his appointment, and the branch as such actually ceased to exist. District and Group Organization. The system of replacing fit members of District Staffs by returned officers and other ranks was continued until the date of the Armistice. The return of a number of Staff Corps officers from the Expeditionary Force has admitted of the demobilization of a corresponding number of Territorial

I First Division. Class A, Seoond Division Class B, Seoond Division Class C, . Second Division I Total. | i Total fit men embarked .. I 18,006 Total (it, men not embarked .. 10.866 . Classed C2 . . . . . . 39.990 Classed D .. .. .. 2.201 796 2.015 8.115 105 32 5,533 10,856 130 4 8.861 13.598 III 18.838 27.275 72,859 2,547 I Totals .. .. 71.063 11.331 16,551 22.571 121.519