CALL FOR MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2593, 15 October 1915, Page 6

CALL FOR MEN

CITY'S POSITION

APPEAL TO MEN'S PATRIOTISM

JOIN THE INFANTRY

AND TRANSFER FROM OTHER BRANCHES. __ — The position with regard to recruiting in Wellinjrton City and Suburbs is at'present described as very serious.. We are'faced with the possibility of finding at the eleventh hour that we have scarcely any men on our books to make up our quota for the Tenth Reinforcements. Our quota for the Tenth should go to camp on about November 10. We may be asked to find 650 men for that force. When it was understood that tlie November force would -total 2000, the City was asked to contribute 375 men—3oo infantry and 75 mounted. Now that tho force is to bo 3500, Wellington should reckon on nothing less than 650. Excluding Sundays there is three weeks of time in whicli to get tlie men. Therefore: We want (fit) by November 10 ... 650 We want, as extras agaiust unlit- 1 ness, eto 170 So the recruits must total 820 Which means weekly enlistments of 274 And daily enlistments of 46 There have been eighteen recruiting days sines the Minister of Defence announced in thfe House that we would all have to speed up, because some of the drafts were being sent forward early, and because requirements had been increased to 2000 trained men per month. Since then, of course, there has been a further increase in the call upon the country.' But in the eighteen days referred to (since the Minister said "Speed up!") about 580 men have enlisted in Wellington, which is at the rate of thirty-two per day. Thirty-two per day from now on would be barely sufficient if all were fit, if all came up to their call, and if all enlisted for infantry or mounted. . So, what wo require, according to the Defence authorities, is nothing short of a fifty per cent, improvement.

A fifty per cent, improvement is a minimum estimate, and it would be rash indeed to expect to get through on it. It is rash because the figures tabulated above take no account of the men who will enlist for branches of the service other than infantry or mounted. It is for those two branches, • and those only, that men are wanted just now. And men have for weeks past been steadily joining tho crowded ranks of the other branches. Books Deplete of Infantry. But it must not be imagined because 580 men have gone on to the hooks in the last eighteen days that we have a number of infantry now in hand. Wo have no infantry—or so few' that we may say none. The truth is that three weeks from the day when we need 650 fit men we are only commencing to recruit them.

'" Shortly after the quota for tho Octouer forces was called up Wellington secured tho number of infantry and mounted men it required for those forces. By last Tuesday it had about eighty infantry on its books for the Tenth. Reinforcements. On Tuesday the quota for the Rifle Brigade paraded 71 short. Seven blanks . were ... tilled that day, and on the following day sixty-four, men to fill the remaining gaps were called up. Called from where? _ From the small number who had enlisted for the Tenth. The result is that we start again with practically a clean sheet to enrol tho quota for the Tenth.

. That is the explanation why, though recent enlistments have not looked bad numerically, we are faced with a serious possibility of a big shortage. The saving of the position relies largely on an appeal to the patriotism of many of the men enlisting and: enlisted, and an the success of that appeal. The men must be appealed to to enlist for the infantry or the mounted branches of the service. Those are the branches depleted. Those are the branches which have to be filled at once. Those aro the branches a man should join when he - enlists. Not-, only must there be this appeal to those who are now enlisting, but those who are on the books already for other Branches of- the service must be asked to, out of their patriotism, notify the recruiting officer without delay that they are willing to be transferred to infantry or mounted. There ure nearly 400 fit men on the City books waiting to bo called up with arms of the service for which we do not want nen. Will they remain on the waiting list while the books are depleted of infantry, and the City is crying out for men to fill its quota? If these men will place their services unreservedly in their country's hands, and the men enlisting from now on will do likewise, we will get our quota. ■ To-day's Chance for Keen Recruitsi Considerable service tc the good cause of facilitating recruiting has been done by the now office which was opened iu the Town Hall on Saturday. Already about 200 men have enlisted there, and many of them have signed on for the infantry. Howover, like all recruiting figures, these are not so good as they seem on the surface. Forty per cent, .of the recruits who have returned their papers «re unfit, some have not come back from .the doctor yet, and others have signed on for branches of the service in which men aro not urgently required. Here' are figures showing how the Town Hall recruiting stood at 4 p.m. yesterday:— Number of men,enrolled '. 190 Returned medical papers 115 Fit , 72 Unfit 43 These figures show 39 per cent, unfits, but as men have also been, rejected for other reasons (under agcy over age, etc.), the percentage of rejections may be set down as Nevertheless the Town Hall office has proved a success so far, and tho Defence Department proposes to ,expand the idea of going some of the way to meet the recruit, instead of,expecting him to go all the way to them (at Buckle Street), no matter whore he resides or workß. An office is to be opened at the Newtown Library almost immediately, and later the men in the Hutt Valley towns will be assisted by having an office opened at a place, or places" comparatively convenient to them. For 9 a.m. to-day over sixty men have been called up to fill the blanks in tho City's quota for the forco that went into camp this week. These sixty odd were notified by telegram yesterday, and it is hoped that all will appear' at the Garrison Hall at. tho appointed hour this morning. In case any fail to do so there is an excellent chance for anyone who desires to get into camp without delay.

Any keen recruit should be at the Garrison Hall at 9 o'clock or a little later this morning. His onterprise may to rewarded by lus getting into camp this afternoon. . Even if his luck is out, his offer will be highly appreciated. LATEST ENLISTMENTS. The following returned their medical papers to the Buckle Street Office yesterday : — David T. M'Gloy, railway porter, jCrasEi ffieekjt ...

Vernon Venables, Y.MC.A., City. Henry T. Davey. A. Charles Mullen. H. C. Howard, carpenter, ICelburn. Robert Brown, Ferguson Street, City. Richard N. Silt, Chn'stchurch. H. S. Bernard, machinist, City. John Patrick Matthews, engineer, Sidney Street, City. Geo. Buckley Walden, ironmoulder, 19 Horner Street. Harry Ingham, railway workshops, Petone. Arthur L. Cook, driver, City. Gilbert C. Hcas, telegraphist, City. Victor Wright, 36 Thomson Street, City.

J. Marshall, settlor, Karaka Bay. Wh. Heath, 49 Majoribanks Street. G. Pudney, dental surgeon, Dannevirke.

Geo. Roger Williams, Belford Street, City. Mark Barrett, accountant, Kelburn. James H. Hocking, Newtown. Charles Vivian Port, clerk, Ora Akito. ' . Harold John Burns, tailor, Tasman Street, City. A. Daniel, engineer, Petone. Herbert Edward Fieldiiouse. J. Ruifett, fireman, College Street, City. ' i .

Benjamin Eickorby, 12 Ferguson Street, City. = ' ...... Eric L. Mather,'warehouseman, Fort Kelburn. John R. Rogen. Robert Brodiej miner, Waikanao.. > Alf. W. Whittington.' R. D. Christie, mechanic, Gas Company, City. 1 James Thos. Sharp, 183 Courtenay Place. Herbert Wynn-Williams, farmer, City. Frank Moody, labourer, Roxburgh Street.

Harold L. Edge, Kelburn. Wm. H. Tindle. Wm. Rengan, Royal Tiger Hotel, City. Wm. Edward Simo.

Arthur Thos. Bird, Newtown. Cyril James Clark, jockey, Newtown. Gordon Stanley Biern, carpenter, Upper Hutt.

Keith John Davidson, ware'nouseman, City.

Henry A. Wadley, driver, City. Tho following,, who enrolled at the Town Hall, returned medical papers yesterday:— Herbert Bardsley, cleric, City. David Thompson, foreman, City. Geo. Bodell, bricklayer, Island Bay. W. H. Dixon, labourer, City. B. W. Millier, Civil Servant. A. B. King, boot assistant, Newtown. J. C. Sterling," clerk,-City. _ Arthur Angove, seaman, City. John Cameron, ■'fireman, City. Thos. Kelly, wharf labourer, City.