HOW RECRUITING IS PROGRESSING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2581, 1 October 1915, Page 8

HOW RECRUITING IS PROGRESSING

. . HEAVY DEMANDS STATEMENT BY DEFENCE . MINISTER A statement about the progress of re.cruiting was mado by tho Defence Minister in the' House of Representatives yesterday. The Hon. J. Allen said that honourable members would know that wo had now got to the stage that ths demands upon the country were . fairly severe. We should require to have in October between 6000 and 7000 men. He was pleased to be able to say that .. assuming that all the men medically examined answered the call wo should have enough for the two new battalions and the 9th Reinforcements. It was proposed to expedite,the departure of the Bth Reinforcements, and we should have to get the 10th Reinforcements into camp early in November, and for- that force we should require about 4000 men. Ho would remind tho House that in order to secure 4000 men medically fit : we must have between. 5000 and 6000 ■ registrations. And we should require the Slime number in January, "and every two months thereafter.

At present there seemed to bo no real reason why we should alter the regulations governing the physical requirements of men for the Expeditionary Force. It did seem, however, that the Minister of Defence oug'ht now to do-something to remind the country of the heavy demands shortly to be made upon it, and to stimu : late recruiting during the next few weeksi In order to do this he proposed to issue short and concise circulars or letters, which would be published in the newspapers, explaining what the position was. The first of .these circulars would be issued that day. He desired to explain that this circular was addressed to employers, not because they had failed in their duty, but because he thought it necessary to ask employers to look forward to the future and to try to arrange if possiblo so to. organise their business as to let free unmarried men of military age who were medically fit. He did not desire, however, that employers who were manufacturing equipment and, supplies should reduce their staffs.' The circular referred to by the Defence Minister reads as under:—

"NEW ZEALAND REINFORCEMENTS." -Registration of Recruits. To All Employers of Men Between 20 and '40 Years of Age. 1. Look forward to at least another' twelve months of war. 2. Help the Defence Department to secure 4000 men for Reinforcements in November, and .4000 every two months following November. This is a business obligation on New Zealand's part,' and a solemn promise made to the Imperial Government. , 3. I beg each of you to arrange that medioally fit unmarried' .men in your employ may be free to register for service. ■ , , J. ALLEN,. Minister of Defence. '.

Men for Tunnelling Corps'. The meu: from the "Wellington district who are joining the Tunnelling Corps aro to leave hero for Palmerston North on October 8, where members of the corps are' to be assembled prior, to their proceeding to their cajnj) at Auckland. The following men from the city and suburbs have been chosen Skilled minors; Satnuol Finch, David Marton,. Chas.', Perry, and, Richard Howard. Unskilled workers: L. Drake, T. F. Drake, R. M'lntyre Russell, W. Sutton, K. Young M. A. W. Stewart, G. Compton, and D.-Champ.

CITY RECRUITING. I . Tho following men have'enlisted in-Wel-linglon:— Alfred-Robert/Knox, meat preserver, city., 1 Lewis Wm. Laloli, miner, city. Fredk. Hy. 'Hubbard, clerk, city. Ambrose Williams, clerk, city. ' Eric Arthur Ballinger, engineer, city, John Stanley Campion, cook, city. Noel Blaney Boyd, commercial traveller, city. Luther Stephenson, salesman, city: Benjamin Archer, driver, "ketone. Francis Chas. Jones, miner, city. Hector Armstrong, driver, city. Leslie Walter Blake, storeman, Kilbirnie. ' Matthew Wm. Cummins, postal, city. Claude ,Wm. Smith, actor, city. Roy Herbert Hunt, artist, city.John Porter, miner, Wadestown. Richard " Wm. Lynch, compositor, city. Harold Robert Head, No. 5 Garrison Artillery, carpenter, Petone. Percy Gill, accountant, ICelburn. James Colin Chambers, butcher, city. Leonard John Barrett, confectioner, sth Regiment, oity. Auguste Landoss, seaman, city. • Francis Edgar Haunsell, messenger, city. Robert Clayton, gasfitter, city. . Edmund Kay, bootmaker, 1 city'. Reginald M. L. Watson, painter, city. ' Harold L. Hartley, -window dresser,-oity.' Albert Roy Parkin, clerk, city. Fredk. Cook, labourer, city.