THE RECRUITING SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2564, 11 September 1915, Page 2

THE RECRUITING SYSTEM

AN AUCKLAND GRIEVANCE.

liio Auckland allegations regarding the inequality in regard to recruiting between the North and the South were referred to in the House of Representatives yesterday, when Mr. C. EL Poole (Auckland West) asked the Minister of Defence if lie. would make a statement on _ the subject. Mr. Poole read an articlo from an Auckland paper,' in which it \va s istatcd that tho recruiting of tho reinforcements was unsatisfactory. Practically every contingent from Dunedin had had to be reinforced from Auckland. The quota system having failed in the South, the article continued, the Minister 3iad introduced the system of ascertaining tho number of men available in each centre, and naming the quota accordingly. The result wa3 that Auckland had contributed more meu to the Eighth Reinforcements than all tlio rest of the Dominion together. He desired the Minister to make an official statement regarding the discrepancy of enlistments in tho South as compared witli the North.

Tho Hon. J. Allen, in reply, said that the quota system as originally introduced was not a fair system, because it was not based on tho numbers of young men between the ages of twenty and forty- in each military district. The Department had no means of getting theso numbers till the census was taken. He believed j that tlieio were fewer men of military age in tho South than in the North. A great many young men had migrated from tlio South .to the North. He did not know whether the North Island wanted these men—if it did not, then tho South Island would be glad to have them back, and then it could make up its quota. Men were inyited,. to register.; iji /, every district, and "tlie quota" wis m&ae'up on the basis of the registration. To that there were more willinu men in the North ®an in the South was absolutely incorrect. (Hear, liehr.). 'He believed the mop in the South wore quite as willing as those in the North, and made oiiite as good soldiers. (Applause.) But if Auckland were repining because of the strain on its resources it had its cure —not so many-men need register. But was bo to- understand that Auckland did liot want its men to register? Ho did not believe it. Mr. Poole: We want fair play all around. , Air. Allen: The South' is willing to liear its fair share of Hie burden. I hopo tho honourable gentleman will'not: he, influenced by what appears in the Auckland newspapers. i