THE TENTH DRAFT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2628, 25 November 1915, Page 6

THE TENTH DRAFT

HEAVY SHORTAGE

IN WELLINGTON MILITARY DISTRICT

TARANARTS TROUBLE

Something went radically amiss in the i Wellington Military District last week. When the district's men for the Tenth Reinforcements reached Trentham it was found that tho quota was 236 men short of what was asked for. Strangely, ac- ■• cording to the official figures, the group . which let the district down most heavily was Taranaki; which has all along been regarded-as the best recruiting territory in Now Zealand. Taranaki has an exceptionally fine record, and its failure last weok is attributed to tho fact that men who have been waiting on the books awhile have gonei back to the farms now. that the dairying . season is in full swing, and did 'not, leave -'their- employ-, ment when called up. There ' we're failures in other groups as well, but light failures. Tho City group, for instance, was seven 6hort on the day of mobilisation, hut has sinco filled its gaps and made good shortages for other . places. V • . However, big as the failure was, it is being rectified, and the recovery is more striking than tho slump. The' shortage was discovered in the middle of the week, and before the end of the week 163 other men had been got together and sent into camp. That, in a few days, reduced;the actual shortage to 73, and the necessary 73 are now being obtained. The existing shortage is in infantry and mounted—66 infantry, 7. mounted; total 73. Of the total original shortage of 236, Taranaki was responsible for 140,. and the other four districts for 96. The position of Taranaki respecting the Tenth.was: — Registrations on books 470 Quota requested 300 Men supplied ; 160 Men short ...v. 140 A curious sidelight is revealed in Wellington City's, performance.' When the group quotas' for the Tenth were drawn up, 'Wellington was asked for 160 infantry. Two weeks before the draft was to be mobilised, the City's infantry share was reduced by 30, to 130, because of a fear of heavy withdrawals here. However, the withdrawals occurred in 'another, and unsuspected, quarter, and the City ■ (which was reduced by thirty) has supplied SO extras to fiil blanks. The Wellington Military District quota for the Tenth was fixed at 1274 men. The number which has actually been sent to camp, is 1201. I When the remajning 73 men for the Tenth, and the permanent medical orderlies, etc., are found, the Wellington district's hooks will he almost depleted of men available for the Eleventh Reinforcements. - The Eleventh will' be mobilised on December 14, so there is little more than a clear two weeks in which to find the men for the next draft. If the books become actually depleted of fit available men; the military district's recruiting will have to be at the following rate: — Men. In 18 days ........;..., 778 Per week 311 Per day (excluding Sundays)... 52