The Washington times., 1917-01-28
CONSCRIPTS CHOSEN
BY UNIQUE BALLOTS
Peter LiddeIl, a Student, First
Person Picked for Service in
New Zealand.

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES.
Australia, Dee. 20.-iBy mail.)-
Peter Joseph LiddeIl. n student of
Shexton, District Of Osborne, New
Zealand, is the name II he first con-
seripted New Zealander--and, Incl.
dentally, the first man actually con-
scripted by ballot in the Brit
lsh empire. Today his name goes Of
1cially in the records as Marble No,
1885, Box 80, Military Division No. 10.
girl under twenty, with no appar-
emit understanding OF the situation,
drew the fatal marble from the box,
and evidently enjoyed the task.
The process which eliminated. to-
day began on November IL, when the
ballot was drawn in New Zealand-in
the city of Wellington. A set OF Of
hcials conducted the ballot. which
was drawn by fifty girls, while repre-
sentatives of the various newspapers
were present to witness the event.
Barrel Spun by. Girl.
There were 194 boxes. each hold
ing 500 cards. so that with the blanks
there about $1,000 cards in the boxes.
These were divided into groups of
ten by index cards with raised num-
oers. while the cards in each box
were numbered from / to 500. There
were two barrels, one containing con-
secutively numbered 1874 marbles, cor
responding to the number of boxes,
ana the other containing 500 marbles
also consecutively numbered, cores
pOndtng to the number of cards in
each box. The marbles were checked
oy member OF the judiciary before
starting, then locked in the barrels.
The first barrel was then spun by
girl, unlocked, by the magistrate,
and the marbles were drawn one at q
time by the government 'statistician.
The boxes whose number correspond
ed were takenfrom their drawers and
placed on two rows of tables, stretch
ing from one end of the Soom to the
other, in the order of which the num-
oers were drawn. These boxes were
then checked, and the fifty girls were
then called upon to do their task OF
selecting which among the single men
of New Zealand should be sent to the
trenches.
kilograms Sent to "winners.,
The second barrel was now brought
into action. A female attendant spun
IT, after which 1t was unlocked by
the Judge present. and the statisti-
clan drew a marble. The number of
the first marble drawn was 156. Com
mencing with this as an index num-
Der. the government statistician
counted to the sixth card from the
Index number, and this number was
turned up in the 1874 boxes, the exposed
portion OF the card showing in large
Figures the number of the military
district which contained the home OF
the man who had signed the card In
the national sensus. Next, the swim
ming" cards were lifted from the
boxes and placed on "A tray accord
ing to their respective districts. All
blank cards were replaced in the
boxes by the Judge and a blank was
also inserted in place of the "win-
cedure, Peter Liddell became the first
real conscripted soldier In the British
empire.
After the conscript names were
drawn, the government was busy for
a whole week checking the cards and
correcting possible errors, and then
the names were officially gazettej,
kilograms were sent to the twin
ners," and these kilograms were fol-
lowed by registered letters. Four
thousand names have been selected,
but the medical examination has now
to be entered upon, which. with ex-
emptions, will reduce the number Sc
lected by at least two-thirds. SO
that, in their course, more ballots
will have to follow to I'LL the places
OF those turned down at this stage.
Act Passed Before War.
Unlike Australia, New Zealand has
a CONSUMPTION act, passed before the
war. 1t dates back to 1910, when
Sir Joseph Ward, then premier, re-
to England, where he attended the
defense conference OF 1909. At that
conference II was decided to put
through in the colonies a compulsory
military training scheme. with com
pulsory service attached, which would
serve as a model for the empire, ami
especially for England. Sir Joseph
Ward undertook the task. As a Sc
suit OF his efforts the New Zealand
parliament passed a compulsory serv-
ice act much more radical than the
one subsequently passed in Austria
liza. With the exception of a labor
paper, the Maoriland Worker, the
press OF New Zealand was strongly
in favor of the law.
When the war broke out the au-
thorities began to talk "conscrip-
ton" under the act. This stirred up
opposition. Nearly every miners
union passed resolutions against con-
scription, until the authorities issued
a special memorandum, pointing out
that 1t was necessary in the inter
ests of the empire to keep the coal
mines going, and that, therefore, the
miners would be exempt from con-
scription. When this opposition was
delayed the government took a cen
sus and proceeded 10 draft men to
MI up the gaps in the New Zealand
forces at the front.