TO STIMULATE RECRUITING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2475, 31 May 1915, Page 6

TO STIMULATE RECRUITING

VIEWS OF THE PRESS. DEPARTMENT'S METHODS CHITICISED. The appeal of the Minister of Defence for those married men who are froo to enlist to do so has produced much interesting comment/ in tlio Press on tlio general "state of the recruiting. The Hastings "Tribune" considers that plenty of young and thoroughly qualified nie» aro available, and could easily be obtained were tliey offered, encoitru ,T onient and facilities to eniol. "Wo "have only to take the town ol Hastings as an 'example,'' adds our contemporary. "The only outside intimation that has met ottr'cyos with regard to the £>ot>aibility of those deyraus of,

enlisting finding convenient opportunity of coming into personal contact witli tho recruiting officer consists of a meanlooking; hanfwritten notification posted from time to time on the bulletin-board of this paper. There may bo others posted elsewhere, but, if so, they aro in such inconspicuous spots that they havo escaped observation. Now, such means of notification as to the attendance of the recruiting officer at different centres is altogether insufficient. It is even insufficient to attract the attention of townsmen, and as for country folks they may, or may not, see it should they happen to visit tho town. . . .

"With but few opportunities for coming in contact with men from the country, more than one instance has come to our personal knowledge of cases where those whose employment lies in remote rural districts have, at ennsidor able loss of time, and at some little expense that could not bo easily borne, como to town only to find themselves baulked for want of reliable and readily available information, and so compelled either to incur further loss and expense or to return in unsatisfied disgust to their employment, and . there to spread among their fellows a feeling that is altogether inimical to the movement which all of us should have at heart."

Recruiting Committees Needed, Hie "Wairarapa Daily Times" thinks the Defence Department may not he altogether blameless for the shortage of recruits. It does not appear to have instituted an active recruiting campaign, and those who have desired to enlist, have frequently been put to inconvenience and In several southern townships recruiting committees have been formed, to act in conjunction with the Defence officers, and these have assisted young men who have required advice and temporary employment. If similar committees were formed in the North Island, they would render useful service. We do not want conscription in this Dominion, but unless tho call for men is promptly answered there will be no alternative. Another Chance for the Rejects. The Feilding "Star" says:—"Certainly tho New Zealand Defence Department is placing more restrictions upon and placing our recruits under more severe physical examinations _ than is being done either in Australia or in Britain. This is proved by New Zealanders who were rejected out here being accepted in Australia and England. If he is a. New Zealander ho is good_ enough for acceptance elsewhere; but in New Zealand if he has a tooth loose or missing; or cannot pick an enemy some miles away, he must be rejected. The fact is, the officers in Trentham who had the final say in the matter have thrown out quite a quantity of good sound men who actually passed several examinations in their home districts. All these rejected men should given another chance before any married men are called to arms. Of course, there are thousands of our married men who are as eager as any single men for active service. But they have their insuperable i troubles —mostly _ little ones. There should be conscription of single men up to 30 years of age in preference to culling upon our young married men, especially as there is such a throng of eligible single men lying around on a loose end, food only at present for the banter of their fellows." "Fifty Thousand Men." The "New Zealand Herald" thinks it possible that a stricter medical examination may affect the figures for one district compared with others. It adds: — "The 'Herald' has repeatedly urged, and urges once more, that the Dominion should raise her recruiting total of fifty thousand men. On such a national question there can be no party, and the j co-operation of the Opposition leader would doubtless be cordially given upon tho invitation of tlio Prime Minister. Now is the time for New Zealand to display its unfaltering determination. British statesmen claim to English audiences that the gravity of the situation is not popularl.y appreciated, and it is our duty, as it is our opportunity, to show that in New Zealand we understand and appreciate what is at stake. The Future Lot of the Shirker. "It may be impossible to say of any individual unmarried man of military age (says the Christchurch "Press") that there is no obstacle to his discharge of his duty to volunteer, but it can be said with entire confidence that amongst such men there are hundreds, if not thousands, who are shirking their duty. These should be brought to realise that the future lot of the shirker will not be pleasant; they should be roused to the point of casting aside the selfish and unmanly considerations that are holding tliom back from the path of honour."