THE URGENT CALL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2586, 7 October 1915, Page 6

THE URGENT CALL

CITY ENLISTMENTS

PROGRESS OF RECRUITING

REPORTS NOT GOOD

..: :- . The following men have enlisted in Wellington:— . Eric Bertram, buslimau) Upper Hutt. ; v v v FrankiSewell, 1 butcher, Islaud Bay. George. Palmer, machinist, City,. >. ~ • .: John Richard Burn' Harwcod, _• Civil Servant, City. J. F. Whitman, dm or, City. . - Bortie Potefeiy driver, City. .. . Ray .Vivian Howlott, cianei driver,, • Newtownl' 1 ■'v' Sya-' Michael Martini", hospital attendant, D:..;;. Newtown. i v": :£./>■ ; i";i-/-i>:JV" J.'.H;\M.' Sandman,; chemist's assistant, City. 1 R..M. ileyward, grocer;- Newtown.- :... George,Clark, -Civil'SenrantyvOiij.-■ Derwent Tee," fireman,' Lower'Hutt. ;■ - William; r Edward' Clarksonj.',: labourer, , ' 'Latest-advices from; Canterbury are to (the', effect- that ; recruiting ; . is ' improving,' but the rate of registration must bo accclerated much more if 1 the Canterbury ■■v-quota for tho 9th Reinforcements is to - be completed. Then, of course, many "x. men will.bo necdedi for the lOtn Hem- . -i: for- rejections -by the doctors. Although . the percentage of men whostate' a pre.'V .ference -for' the infantry; is. very lair ■ among those;.who' 'registered, during the I past lew davs, it is nonceable that men themselves :for-ambulance; - hospital ship, army'service, or field artillery work, although no more men are | '- needed at present for those units. It .-would:' assist the i Defence authorities if these men would transfer their applications to tho infantry, i v •. ■ ( The ChnstchuTch >"Press'i says"At r , present tho quota for the-Trentham Regiment is. still considerably short, whilst only, half a'dozen men-have been secur-' '.r'f for. .they ;;the;'.9th; : Reiii:' • forcomentsj-though tclo'so on; 200 are required. .Tlid mounted iwriks,are, also suf-, - ienng from a: shortages'.: The .peculiar part of it all'is;th'at,the other:groups ■tw< in tho Cantcrbui7, 'military district—: il'- Nelson, Greyniouth, Kaiapoi, and - Ti-. iiiar-u—are to- have raised their. ? - full quoto.3 for both the Trentham Rearid : it is probable that they mil-be . asked iv..,.-,.. to mako'up .the: city.'s deficiency." ■ ■: ( Recruiting picetiugs are still being if . held -in Otago, taid tliey havo" been com- •: monced in AusWand.. ;.Regarding, recrniting in Auckland, the . ."'Herald" . - says:—''Major Jl E. Duignan, general 3" ;Vf'; staff officer, stated on Monday .that' since ; "the October quota, of. 1600 men '.was se- ; lectcd an- additional '300 men-hadj-re-gistered.; That left the local authorities the responsibility of finding another 700 . , miin immediately,v sinco the; November. i'.''.v..--.qiiota-oMOO3 men will-havo to be made up within the next three or four weeks. iWith'the.3oo men in hand; he'; continued-,: . v the local headquarters staff - were fairly confident of making up the full quota without' irny /serious difficulty./: Recruits; were coming forward iat the ra,te,,' of ] ' . about 120 per week, and if they could ■SiW got,''say, T loo men per week-, : from- the ,V ! city area and 50 per week from l tho ;'.v;.:; ; cquiitry districts:;dnring ; the, next;four •' .. weeks', they' 'would not bo'far short of tho total. Major .Duignan further stat- ; v - ed. that tilie time had arrived for serious effort in this connection, for the drain upon Auckland's'.resources would be - considerable during the next few ' months. It was felt; that there were still many - men in the Auckland military district who were willing to go to : .' -.the front,-and were only waiting for an ■.' urgent call before offering their services. The Auckland quota for the Tunv nelling Company of Engineers was • still 60 short of its total on Monday evening." YOUTHFUL RECRUITS. ■■■■ • In replying to a. question .- asking' the Government to .take more - effectivo measures to prevent boys un- -.' der 20 years of ago ? from joining our - Reinforcements,' the Minister,of. Defence 1 stated "that .when registering for service intending Tecruits are required to certify v to tlieir,age, and if .under-twenty years - they are informed by the onrolling offi- ' • ce'r that they will not. be ' allowed to proceed with v Reinforcements leaving • Now Zealand nntil they have-attained that age. - If a- young man states his V.;. age as twenty years and looks that «ge, ; . it is. difficult for tho examining medical officer to refuse .to pass him if physically i .fit. -Directions wore given that birth certificaxes were to be prodnced where '. ' thought necessary. ' '■■