RECRUITING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2474, 29 May 1915, Page 6

RECRUITING

BIG EFFORT NEARLY OVER

DEFENCE MINISTER ON THE RECRUITING SYSTEM.

"Our big effort is practically over," said the Minister of Defence yesterday, referring to recruiting. "We shall have our two extra battalions in camp in a day or two, and then we shall have 7000 men there, more than we- luivo ever had before at any ono time, and more than we are likely to have again. After that the demand for men will be normal again. Complaints against the recruiting system seem to me to be based on tho supposition that we want all our availablo recruits at once. Wo shall want men for months ahead, and our system is designed to keep up a steady supply of men. "We have adopted a system of registration," said Mr. Allen, "and it has been working admirably. Tho registration system means that the men who register their names are ready to give their services whenever they are called upon. They are advised, when signing the registration caTds, that tliey are not meanwhile to leave their employment; that they .will get due notice when to go up for their medical examination, and when to go into camp. Any agitation that is created to upset this arrangement is against the beat interests of the country and against recruiting. It is obvious that the industries of the country should be .carried on without any interference so long as the Department can assist this end, and to call men away from their employment before they are needed would only reduce the productive capacity of the country. Further, we have , made our arrangements for training the men in camp, and have provided a staff for the purpose ;, and it would not only be inconvenient, but impolitic and unsatisfactory, and the instruction would _be unsatisfactory, if we were to establish any other than the camp at Trentham.

"I am aware that there are some men who will not strictly obey orders, and who give up their work in expectation that they can go immediately into camp. We can only take them in at definite periods, otherwise the organisation is ail upset." Mr. Allen said that he would remind the country that in a few weeks we would "have close on 7000 men in training, and that was a very big effort. He also wanted to Tomind the country that they did not want the recruits all at once. They had to look twelve months, or possibly two years, ahead for a continual supply every two > months. He admired the spirit actuating the peoplo, and especially those who were advocating this method at Palmereton, and appreciated also their great keenness; but at the same time he was perfectly certain that the organisation the Defence authorities had created was the best that could bo devised under the circumstances. What was wanted was a continuous supply. "We did want a spurt to got a big lot of men in just now, hut as soon as that ia over we want to get bade to normal—a steady, continuous supply. The reason there is pressure now is that the demands have been so great to get the two extra battalions of infantry: but that is over now. We have got. the two battalions, and T. have no doubt, we shall get the 7th Reinforcements for June 12, as desired. I repeat that what we now want is steady recruiting, day by day, month by month, until the war ends, to make up the reinforcements to lill the gaps. And I want this recruiting from the unmarried men as far as possible."