FASCINATING DISPLAY

Chronicle (Levin), 28 April 1949, Page 4

FASCINATING DISPLAY

Army Unit In Levin To Enlist Recruits Attracting widespread interest in Levin is the visit of the Regular Army's mobile recruiting van at which interviewing officers are in attendance. Siiuated outside Messrs A. W. Allen's, Ltd., the van is accompanied by a mobile workshop, and there are also searchlights and other fascinating e,quipment displayod. A display window has also been suitably arranged to give a picture of Army life today. Although the war is over there is a big job for the Army in time of peace, and for this reason applications are invited from British subjects between the ages of 18 and 42. Recruiting officers said today that they hoped for a good response from Levin. "They fully realised. that joining the regular army was a major step- for anyone to take, an-d required thought rather than a snap decision." They always found the most worthwhile recruit was one who first- sought information and, after much thought and discussion with his or her family, came back next day either for more information or to join, rather than one who on the spur of the moment said, " I want to join your Army." In charge of the recruiting here is Major E. G. Spraggon, public relations and personnel selection officer of Central- Military District, and he is assisted by Lieutenant P. J. McGowan, of Army Headquarters. Purpose Of Visit. In an interview "xo'day, Major Spraggon said that the purpose of the visit was to draw attention to the Regular Army, and the type of display employed had been designed to illustrate the jobs which both men and women may do in the army, the conditions un'der which they will work, various .aspects of service life and pay- and the opportunities there are for advancement. Trade training was being stressed in particular, he continued. They' had found that men between the age of 23 and 25 years were in many cases not old enough for military service during the war and had been influeneed to take employment which gave , them high remuneration rather than a definite vocation. Many of these men now realised that they fell into the category of unskilled \vorkers and, with. the decrease in the amount of overtime paid in some avenues of employment, their wages had dropped and they were becoming more trade conscious. The army of today could train men and give them qualifications which were recognised in civilian as well as service life. No organisation in New Zealand so carefully planned the use of its employees. Every man was treated as an individual and employed according to his personal liking and aptitude, Terms Of Service. It had, however, to be remembered he said, that the recruit was still principally a soldier and, secondly, a tradesman. .Each recruit' went through a six months probationary period at the end of which he could either leave' or enter into a contract for either five or eight years service, renewable if desired at the end of the period. AT could join a superannuation scheme from which. they could coliect, at the retiring age of 45 years, an age when one was still young enough to take up a fresh job. For those whO' did not desire to join the superannuation scheme, there was a gratuity at an annual rate of £25.