THE CALL TO THE COLOURS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15872, 11 April 1917, Page 6

THE CALL TO THE COLOURS.

THE SIXTH BALLOT. 4512 NAMES BEING DRAWN. (rRESS ASSOCIATION" TELEGRAJt.) WELLINGTON, April 10. The Dominion's shortage for tho 30th lU'inforcemcuts, for which voluntary enlistments closed on Thursday last is 1203. A ballot was commenced thii afternoon to make up tlio dcficicney four names being drawn to moke up every one of the deficiency, instead of the proportion of three to one as been the custom previously. Tho reason for the increased proportion is to make up for the tightening of the medical standard. Thus 4812 names are now being drawn. Tho Hay of Plenty is the only dis trict which will escape the ballot, hoy ing made up its quota voluntarily.

TWENTY-EIGHTH REINFORCEMENTS. A dotachmcnt of men for the 28th B«ia forcemont from, th« North Canterbury <iiv trict wont North last liiglxt under the chug, of Capi.-ChapJsHn Hayce, of Oust. Tho names of tl»o men vrero oa folio**;.. N.C.O.'a —A. C. Clemontfi, T. H. Graeor W Smith, O. "\V. "Williams. "' ' Mounted Rifles—R. G. Bruco, J. G. Cook. B. O'Shaus-hancssy, C. "W. Turner, T. \y Withers. Infantry—C. Andrew, A. D. Budge, A. E. J Church, A. Duff, .T. Fitzgerald, D. Hewitt V J. Hight, "W. llills, JV. HiJl3, J. H. Jnrmv\ D. O. Jones, T. C. Kcuiiis, C. W. Lang, d'. Montgomery. -A- R- Mee, T. f; Parker, S. M. Smith, AV. Shepherd, H. c! Stcwaxt, F. E. Trnßtram, E. C. Woods, BIG OTAGO DRAFT. fSrKCIAL TO "THE TOESS.") DUNEDIN, April 10. Tho Otago draft of recruits to lean' for Trentliam on Thursday will he ono of tlio largest yet sent from hero for training. Tho- Dunodin group i s veil represented.

SELECTION OF N.C.O.'S

A NEW SYSTEM.

(srxciAt to "ths rasas.") I WELLINGTON, April 10. Tho system by which t)on-com« missioned officers are selected for tho successive drafts of reinforce- 1 ments in camp has been altered recently. Hitherto it has been the pratx tico to select from, tho voluntary recruits offering sufficient of the best ien J to supply the whole drafts with uon- ' commissioned officers, and to put .tbesft . men through an intensive oourso of training before the arrival in camp of the untrained recruits. Suitablo men were invited to this class, and admis - sion was granted on the recommends tion of the Officer Commanding the Dis-;. trict to which the applicant belonged.'-?: There were obvious objections to , this system in its application to balloted men. because the O.C. District oould' never take notioe of any but volunt«ers, c and it has been the policy of the rities to draw no distinctions betweeu: volunteers and oonscripts. l^v This preliminary selection has a|it' been abolished, and the nou-com&ts> sioned officers- are to be solectedlpip camp. - -^v. "We are taking no more probation##! n.c.o.'s into camp now," said the Defence Minister, in explaining this matter to-day. "All the men are coming* into camp equal, and wo are making the choice in camp of tho men 'raotf - suitablo for the special training class. The selection is to bo made not on recommendation of the Officer Commanding tho District, but on the merit • of the man himself. There are so few - commissions being granted now in Now - Zealand, owing to so many being given ' ( to men promoted at the front, that nt >• have come to the conclusion that it il best to bring them all in and give every; body an equal chance—balloted merit and volunteers alike. Merit will;: 09 the only deciding factor, and the man who can show to tho training staff that he has capacity will get promotion."-