THE DISTRICT QUOTA

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2560, 7 September 1915, Page 6

THE DISTRICT QUOTA

-— DRAFTS ON AUCKLAND PAIR BASIS OF RECRUITING By Telegraph.—PrcßS. Association. Auckland, September 0. In a. speech nfc a farowoll "social" in Auckland to Lioutonants Hattrick and Fowlds on Saturday -night, the Hon. Goo. Fowlds said cxcessivo drafts of men were being takou from Auckland for reinforcements bccauso of tlio failnro of Otago ami other Southern districts to make up their proper quotas. Ho expressed tho boliof that this mainly resulted from tho failure of tlio Minister of Dcfenco, himself an Otago man, to make it clearly and widely known that Otago had come far short of supplying-' its fair proportion. The only lair basis of recruiting was to tako tho population of military ago in cacli military district and allot tho ■ number of men roquircd for tho roinforcomcnts to cacli district according to that population. If Auckland or any other district had to mako up for the deficiency from othor districts, then lot tlio exact shortage bo rnaclo known, and -ho had 110 doubt that a speedy and effective effort would be made to wipe out tlio stigma of failure. Tho matter was of great importance, because the present system was putting an unfair strain on tlio resources of Auckland. THE OTACO VIEWPOINT. MORE ENLISTMENTS THAN CAN BE COPED WITH. (Br Meeropn.—Presa Association.) Oamaru, September 6. ■The Hon. G. Fowlds's assertion concorning the failure'of the military district to produce its rightful quotas for tho Reinforcements is hardly taken seriously in weH-informed quarters in thisUlistrict. It seems that the number of men called up whenever a new contingent is'got ready'is iu each case determined by the percentages of population in tho respective military districts. As an example, were Auckland to send a draft of say 630 men, it -would. ~be necessary for Otago to get together - a quota of approximatfely- 500 men. Taking ;theso figures as a guide, a general survey'of the recruiting records of the past few months plainly shows that the Otago district has ocoupied a position witli regard to the .number of recruits going forward every bit as satisfactory as oither Auckland,' Wellington, -or Canterbury. It is an undoubted fact that many of the recruiting offices/of ■this province 'are at present receiving ■more enlistments than they can possibly cope'with. They are allowed a- certain number !to he sent away with each draft that ,is called up, and under the regula-tions-imposed are unable, to go above 1 that total It is openly asserted locally that-men wlio were passed a,s! medically fit as far back as June., last are still awaiting, their opportunity to' go into camp, 'and that there are dozens of recruits on tho books of the Dofence Office who will not .see TrentTiau) for many weeks to come. ■ DEFENCE MINISTER REPLIES. J , \ TRUTH ABOUT OTAGO. ; / "Mr. Fowlds has not put the thing in a fair light," said the Defence Minister. (tho Hon. J. Allen), discussing Mr. Fowlds's statement last night. "I agree with him ■ that a, fair basis for recruiting is .to- assess the quota for every district according to the number of moil of military age in every dis-. trict. But I venture to . say that if you could get statistics of the numbers of men available in the several districts you-would find that recruiting has been the same in all districts. Very many-.yoiirig'-"men come from other districts-, to Wellington .to enlist, and this has made the figures in other districts relatively lower; But Wellington has supplied a very large quota-, of her own. If Anokland lias been : depleted, ' then Wellington has been still- more depleted.. If I say that Otago must find a quota equal to that for. Wellington, this ■would prevent great many of th'ei.men on the register, in Wellington and Auckland, from getting away, and there would at onco bo an. outcry on, that.account.: I resent alto- , gether the statement that there has been any failure of recruiting'in Otago or.: in any other- part of the South Island. They are doing their bit therg as : the' Auckland men are doing theirs, but ■ it happens that there are more men of military age in Wellington, and Auckland than in Canterbury and Otago/ Anyhow, even if Mr.. Fowlds's statements were correct, which I do not admit, I; don't sec why ho should grumble because Auckland is more patriotio than any other part of New Zealand. He ought to be proud of the fact rather than otherwise.'' • Mr. Allen said tihat-' tl(e national register to be taken would throw a clearer light on the position. . Askod whether he wished to comment on the demand in some quarters for compulsory;service, Mr.; Allen replied:."l know nothing of compulsion. We don't need it at present.. I think the individual in New Zealand has to a very large extent'realised that he has a duty, and the men are ooming forward in a very satisfactory way to do their duty. As long as that goes on it is very muoh better than compulsion. That is what we ought to encourage—the sense of responsibility of the individual right throughout the country—and as as ,1 can judge there is a' very healthy feeling throughout New Zealand in this respect."