NEXT BIG FORCE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2574, 23 September 1915, Page 6

NEXT BIG FORCE

. MY 6000 ■ WHAT EVERY DISTRICT WILL DO IWELLINGTON STILL' LEADS ■ In the middle of noit month nearly 6000 raoro men will be pjnt into camps for , military training. This© will bs the men ■ for.-'the Ninth Reinforcements, ,the) men ■ for tho Third i and Fourth Battalions', of the Trentham Riflo Brigade, and the non— coininissioned officers'for-the Tenth Rein-, forcemeats. The,men;are/ being called up on a percentage basis of the .men. on the books of.the various districts,-,and for the Ninth": and the' Trentham .Battalions the' percentages are:—v - ■■ •• . Unit Ancle IVell Cant Otago Mounted' Rifles;... 21.27 J7.29 20.70 -1,4,74 3rd and 4th Bat-. ,' hlions, Trentham -Riflo • Bn- ~ gade, and • infan- .' . - i: +itt '-P/vr ■''-Hia -k.flth : - . ;

■/;- But : Wellington, district ' is doing. its 'duty,. 1 to, a ;far ,'greater;; eiteiit 1 than.'-, the' infantry; figures alolie show.; It; is "doing ,more; than .its share :in supplying the men for every.'one of thosix ; branches;of the .force, whereas all th'e'other . districts fall short m some branches. Auckland '13 Canterbury in everything. rifles, aid Otago; in. every branch.. More- 1 ..over,,Wellingtoii'''has i ;the ;hishest percentage'' in;.every. vinstance/'but :tliat of: Vlxmy,'Service*'. Corjis^'.i f . • -s !: ' ;V r .^'v.' 'Nevertheless, hot'the' heavy : pereen.tages."it . : was .honoured with when; the' Eighth Reinforcements ■ were . called:;iit>.>: The ■.'comp'afisoii .is inteiiest-:.' ing. ' Hero are . the .Eighth's percentiles:— . ; • "';V ■

i Try iur;. ■, ' ■ Reinforcements: .c 28.80 38.57 . 22.81 11.82 . l'ield Artillery 20.78 41.98.19.17.' 15.07 i'ieldEiigincers ... 36.24 * 40.60.. 14:76 :; 8.40 ■ Signal Service ...... 35.1!) 44.44. 1G.C7 . 3.70 Army Service Gps. 41.70 35.4a 13.80 9.0o The total number of men required for ' ■ is? ibonit'vaaOO. < The . infantry; will; number almost 4300. - The. infantry required from each roilitary-.districtjare:—' 1 i dumber ' men.' : Auckland 1238 Wellington 36 57 1 73 Canterbury 22 81 971 otago. : w? 50s •'is 'the' is. ;.doing no more tliatf'its; fair' share' in pro- , yiding'well over: one-third of the -infantry, but the fact? is that Wellington i9 continning to do a good deal more than, its share; 'r;On:'a.population. basis' .the 'percentages and' the abtual .-numbers of men . from the districts would be:— :;' I •..'. '• . ..._ 1 ' Percentage. Men. : Wellington. . 317. 1363 ■ Canterbury v .:...:..:.. 24.9. 1070 nOtago 18,5 795 ■.■■■.■, - V.So the districts ' aire sending -more or less ;i than* their share,' ? accordii)g\to the following table:— , ' •' . I! . -■ More. Less. ■ i Auckland- ■ 176 ■: . ' Wellington. 210 J Canterbury — • 99 ■ Otago - 287

Unit. 'A'uck. ,Well. Cant. Otago. ■Jloimied' : Eifles 18162 ! 48.97 19.23 13.13 Infantry ' 2G.57 17.53 13.G1 12.29 Tibid Artillery '25.10 ? :42.18 * 19188 ',12.84: ■: Field ; Engineers 40.10;,35.74;. 14.80 9.3G ■: 'Signal Service.;. ,;46.34 . 36.59- 12.19 4.88 ; Army Service... 42.31 3G.G1 ..13.1G 10.G2 .'Atrilittlonce; ;,.v 36.14'"39..10' ; '12.f)S , '11.58 .Veterinary ~. ... 12.50 -18.75 . 12.50 . : The, dates; fixed for, the dispatch of tlio men-to camp ato October 12, and October. 19. •