In the event of the Active Militia being mobilized for military service, the Commandant was required to advertise in the Government Gazette and the press for volunteers, and "should enough men have not volunteered and been accepted in any district to complete the quota required for that district," within the time specified, "the men enrolled in the Militia First Reserve shall be balloted for" and "any man balloted for ... shall be attached to such corps in his military district as the District Commandant may notify." The period of service in time of peace was not less than three years, irrespective of age at time of enrolment. The Militia Reserves were liable to be called out by the Governor-in-Council for active service in time of "war, invasion or insurrection, or danger of any of them." Their officers (designated Chief Leaders and Sub-Leaders) were appointed "at the instance of the Commandant of Militia in pursuance of a vote passed by a majority of the members of such Militia Reserves," in accordance with the regulations. In so far as the Native, Indian or coloured male population (outnumbering the European by about 10 to 1) was concerned, the Act empowered the Governor to call out any portion thereof, being British subjects, for military training or service in time of peace, or for active service in time of war, and to form the same into contingents for employment as scouts, drivers, labourers, stretcher-bearers, etc., under officers subject to the Commandant of Militia. An amending Act, passed in 1906, enabled the Commandant to call out the Reserves for training, and so introduce some degree of organization among them, impossible under the main Act. Although, during 1906, the entire European population was under 100,000, it was found that 5,000 men (all volunteers) were at the disposal of the State as Active Militia, with about 15,000 Reserves, divided into the three classes referred to. A defect in the principal Act was the concession to Reserves of the privilege of electing their own officers (Chief Leaders and Sub-Leaders), as the selections, in many cases, were not determined by the military knowledge, military service, firmness of character and so forth of the candidate, but simply by the degree of wealth possessed, or popularity enjoyed, by him in the district. When the Reserves of certain parts were called out for active service, the seriousness of this mistake speedily manifested itself, with the result that the best efforts of which some of the corps were capable were not put forth. Having regard to the numerical strength of the Reserves, it was of the greatest importance that only efficient officers should have been selected.