HEEDING THE CALL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2465, 19 May 1915, Page 7

HEEDING THE CALL

CITY RECRUITING

VERY STRICT MEDICAL MEN

ALL THE "UNFITS" BARRED

Yesterday was another excellent recruiting day at the Wellington Hecruiting Office. Before G o'clock in the evening 47 men had enrolled.

This batch brings the total number who have enrolled in the City since February 7, when tho card system was instituted, up to 1475. This is considered a very satisfactory response for Wellington for a pericd of something over three months. It averages about 114 per week, but in the latter portion of the period the average has been very much greater than the general average. For instance, sufficient u'.en to make up the general weekly average were enrolled in the two first days of this week Since the beginning of the war, when, recruits were first called for, Wellington has enrolled 3523 men —2C48, under the old system, audi 1475 uuder the new (or card) system.

The men who presented themselves at the Recruiting Office on Monday and yesterday were men of very good general physique, but so strict is the medical scrutiny even at this stage in tho recruiting campaign that quite a good proportion were rejected. Bad teeth was the chief cause, and unsatisfactory eyesight was among the other causes. Tho teeth trouble, of course, can be remedied, and in most cases the men will have these little defects rectified.

It is considered very strong evidence of the value of Now Zealand's supply of men of first-class physique that tho medical examiner can after nine months of recruiting be as particular as ho is to exclude men whose defects are not by any means great. The necessity for being particular to take only really sound men to tho front is obvious; it is clear that a man who breaks down is (putting it rather callously) a drag on tho remainder of the body. Therefore, the sensible course to follow in the best interests of all concerned is to insist on taking away only man who can be relied on not to break down amidst the trials of active service. It is this consideration which has resulted in quite a number of men who have passed tho doctor and got into camp being left behind when tne force they wero' training with sailed. Tho hard work in T'rentham camp iinds out most of tho men who have inherent -weaknesses yhich are probably unknown to them, and are certainly hidden from the eyo of the doctor. Many a disap J pointed recruit has found after a period of enthusiastic training that ho has had to bid good-bye to Trentham and say farewell to his chanco of getting into ;he firinn-line, because some little weakness has, as a result of hard work, made itself apparent. However, New Zealand is fortunate in that but a small proportion of her sons can be denied permission to sorvo their country and their Empire. The men who enrolled in Wellington yesterday were: —

William W. Diggle, draper, city. J. M. Donald, sailor, city. Frederick Wm. Wicks, cook, city. Leonard Gledhill, milk vendor, Potone.

Hubert Harry Daniel, law student, dasterton.

Albert Edward Pattinson, biograph operator, I'etone.

Thornton Hadley, blacksmith, Voeeltown.

Geo. Richard York, builder, city. Leonard Headifin, driver, city. Duncan Kenneth M'Gill, cook, Martinborough.

George Samuel Sutton, seaman, city, Anthony Aldridge, seaman, city. Harry Mitchinson, cook, city. John Bert Barlow, driver, Johnsonville.

James Tolladay, steward, city. Alfred Edwards, labourer, city. Alfred Myers, salesman, city. Wm. Thomas Fryer, farmer, Martinborough.

Wm. Thos. Hartand, barman, city. Arthur Edward Cook, plumber, Johnson ville.

Wm. Gordon, engineer, city. James Quilligan, fireman, city. Peter Farrel, fireman, city. William Joseph Hunt, firenjan, Otago. William Watson, steward, city. Henry Slade, wharf labourer, city, Geo. Bruce, bookbinder, city. Harold Edmund Hamblyn, fireman, city.

Herbert Reeve, butcher, city. 7. in. Nicholas Sievers, Civil Servant, city.

Clark Allan, ex-railway clerk, Martinborough.

Geo. W. R. Burns, labourer, Taita. Wm. Geo. Bennett, clerk, city. Alex. Robert l'ait, postal clerk, city. Chas. Edmund Jones, storeman, city. Geo. Cecil Breed, shop-assistant, city. John Walter Makin, motor mechanic, Brooklyn.

Herbert Basil Wood, engineer, city. Charles B. Wetherall, clerk, Kilbirnie. Arthur Smith, carpenter, Brooklyn. Harry I'unley, farmer, Johnsonvi'lle. Richard P. Withell, reporter, city. _ Edward Gordon Brook, storeman, city.

James William Beattie, labourer, Petone.

Leonard Wm. Tattle, Public Trustee employee, city. Henry Albert Mihon, cook, Kilbirnie. Edward H. V. Douglass, grocer, Tasman Street.