MEN AND THE CALL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2610, 4 November 1915, Page 8

MEN AND THE CALL

THIS MONTH'S FORCE

WELLINGTON MILITARY DISTRICTS EVERY GROUP'S ANSWER MEN FOB INFANTRY STILL NEEDED. On the fifteen and the sixteenth of this mouth—less than two weeks hence—tile quotas from the Wellington Military District have to go into camp to help to form the Tenth Reinforcements. Tho Wellington and tho Manawatu men go in on the fifteenth; tho Taranaki, Wairarapa, and Hawke's Bay men on tho sixteenth. From inquiries made yesterday it was learned that at the beginning of the month the numbers of men needed had not yet been secured. The prospects, however, are good, and there is stated to be very little reason to fear a shortage in this district for the Tenth draft.

Tho latest figures show what looks very much like a small surplus of men, but the apparent surplus does not bear analysis. On November 1 the complete state of recruiting in the Wellington military district was as disclosed in the following table, which gives tho details for tho five groups into which the district is divided. Tho groups may bo known thus:— Group s—Wellington City and Suburbs. Group 6.—Manawatu. Group (, Hawke's Bay and Poverty Group 7a.—Wairarapa. Group S.—Taranaki. Here are 1 the details:—

. Fit Total and t „ - 011 availnr , i l n 8 books, able. Mounted... 89 64 69 58 113 393 308 Artillery... 176 38 29 17 38 298 267 Engineers .48 21 11 3 20 ' 103 81 Signallers 19 1 1 6 1 28 25 Infantry... 121 231 101 IGB .431 1052 735 4" S ;C- 116 49 20 19 39 243 207 Ambulance 91 16 16 22 17 162 131 Vet. Corps 3 3 2 1 6 15 11 Totals ... 663 423 249 294 665 2294 1765 Tho quotas required from every group in the district are: — , r t , 5 6 7 7a 8 T'ls. Mounted ... 96 36 66 30 86 314 Artillery ... 48 15 2 2 9 76 Engineers 20 19 — — 4 43 fciignallers 6 — — 2 — 8 lmantry ... 160 135 115 75 323 80a A.S.O 5 8 — — 1 14 AniDulance u 3 — — a 11 Group totals 341 216 183 109 425 1271 bo, id is pointed out, wuue v>o appear to have ou our books more tnmi enough men to iulul our obligations respecting me 'lentil Iteuiforceiuenis, wo are in reality short, uecause we are aehciont in tue two mum Oranchcs —mlantry and mounted. _ i'or tno iiiianiry wo want altogether SOB men. 'j.nat;uoes not moreiy mean BUB registrations. it means 6UB I'll' men. it means more than that. It means BUSI'IT men who are AVAILABLE UA t iNOYItoIBUK Id anil llj. 'lucre are, according to official ligures, moro tiiau BUB registrations on the books, bur tnere are tower lit and available men registered. Actually, we were on November 1 seveuty-Wiree infantry short. In the mounted branch, also, we are short. 'rtie uistnct quota is 314 mounted.mon. On November 1 there were 393 registrations for the branch, but only iiub were lit and available for Novembor. _ 'llie position of every group in relation to the infantry requirements is shown in the following table:—' Visible Apparent Infantry Infantry short- surGroup. quota, on books. ages, pluses. 5 160 121 39 - 6 135 231 - 96 7 115 101 14 — 7u 75, 1118 — 96 S 323 431 — 108 Totals 808 1052 53 300 The visible shortage in Wellington city is expected to be wiped out before the -middle of the month, and, it is stated, there would not have been a deficit at tlie_ present time but for the fact that Wellington lias last fortnight making up shortages for other districts. Seeing that the city has made' good over 100 of other districts' shortages for the October forces, it lias really registered more than its quota. The strong position of Group 8 is considered to 'bo very creditable to the Taranaki district, which is said to be the best recruiting district in New Zealand. For the mounted branch, the positions of the groups aro:— Visiblo Apparent Mounted Mounteds Bliort- surGroup. quota, on books, ages, pluses. 0 96 89 7 - li 30 64 — 28 7 G6 69 - 3 7a 30 58 — 28 8 86 . 113 - 27 Totals 314 393 7 86 While there are deficits in the infantry and mounted branches, some of the other arms are overcrowded, as. a scrutiny of the tables will' reveal. LATEST RECRUITS. The latest recruits passed are as under:— David Wheeler, clerk, City. Ernest Wilson, gunsmith, City. Albert Gooday, draper, City. William Bruce Beresford, bootmaker. City.

George Campbell, labourer, Lower Hutt.

George JUijnd Smith, engineer, car sheds, Newtown.

Peter Hopkins, carpenter, G.P.0.. City.

Thomas Bruce Wallace, letter-carrier, Johnsonville. S. AV. Dorset, plumber. Frederick Robertson, canvasser. John Murphy, fireman. A. B. Cameron, clerk. William C. D. Groves, clerk. Sydney James O'Connor, letter-car-rier. William Bruce Troup, seaman. Richard Haylock, porter. Edmund James Lamb, bank clerk. John Daniel Frederick Carroll, railways.

No. 5 Group Commander (Major Corrigan) lias been instructed to send into camp as many Maoris as volunteer and pass as fit, in order to reinforce the Maori Contingent at the front. Tlio men are required to leavo for Auckland oil Friday, application should therefore bo made at once to the Group Commander by intending recruits.