THE URGENT CALL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2630, 27 November 1915, Page 6

THE URGENT CALL

CITY STATE

LATEST FIGURES REVEAL

POSITION

INFANTRY SHORT

WEEK'S NET YIELD: TEN FIT MEN.

Recruiting is still very slack in the City. Only fifteen fit mon were registered yesterday, and of these only six signed 'on for infantry. Infantry are wanted, and the authorities express a hope' that men enlisting will join in that 'arm of tho' service. The Wellington City and Suburbs group has'.to send 144 infantrymen into camp on December 14, and at present it has only half that number in hand.. , In the other arms it-is expected that the City should find no difficulty in supplying a full quota for. the December force.

' Of the total number of'fit: men on the City books,- about seventy per cent, are available for December 14. .The following tablo showed the position of the. City . books last, night ' Total fit ■ Available

Totals ...... 483, 351 A comparison .of the two weekly tables will reveal that in tho seven days the-total numbers of available. fit men increased by only ten. The infantry available increased by twenty, which bears out the statement that the city recruiting has fallen to three fit infantrymen per day. Last week fifty men were rejected as unfit; this week's rejections numbered twenty-one, as follows:— Rejections.

Tho infantry and mounted quota for the Eleventh Reinforcements, together with the men in hand, is:— ' • : Quota. In hand. Infantry ■ 144 72 Mounted ■ ■ 34 46 Therefore, just twice as many, infantry as are in hand are required—72 more—and the .authorities have only two weeks in which to obtain thorn. Thirty-six fit infantry each week aro required: this week has yielded twenty. To obtain seventy-two fit and available infantry it may be nccessary to enlist' over 400 men. It works out this way. Only half those who sign on for. infantry may be fit and ready to go to camp next month; and only about one in three fit men enrolled may be an infantryman. "So ■ six enlistments (gross)"may only yield one fit infantryman for December.

YESTERDAY'S VOLUNTEERS. The fit men who were registered yesterday were:— Hilary James M. Meikle, clerk, mounted. (Artillery.) Wm. Johnson, bushman, Citj. (Infantry.) Arthur P. J. Cornish, master mariner, City. (Engineers.) Edmund Patfk. Heapy, postal officer, City. (Postal Service.) Spurpeon - Thrush, railway porter, City. (Ambulance.) Walter Houston, storeman, CSty. (Infantry.) Joseph' Knight-on, driver, City. (Infantry.) , ' Arthur Stevens, labourer, City. (Mounted.) Geo. Farband, French' polisher, City. (Infantry.) ■ _ Henry Frank Bathie, City. (Infantry.) R. W. E. Staples, carpenter, City. I (Hospital ship.) Wm. Arthur Walsh', reporter, City. (Infantry.) . , Wm. E. Sturm, telegraphist. City. (Engineers.) John Carolan,. labourer,' City. (Artillery.) Geo. F. Bolton, military guard, Somes Island;. (Medical Corps.)

A chat about recruiting!' Nearly everyone is in search of appropriate gifts for the Boys about to leave, for the front, and a visit to A. E: M. Bawland's Popralar Jewellery Store, Manners Street, will at once solve the problem of what to give. There you will find hosts of practical and appreciative gifts at prices within, rench of the most economical. A visit to-day will bo time' well spent;—Advt.

on books, for Dec. 14. ..Mounteds 56 . .. t 46 Artillery; '... 174 106 Engineers ....... 53 ; 27; Signallers • 13 13 Infantry ......... 107; (2 A.S.O. ............ Go Ambiance ' .36 36 Totals ...:.. 504. 364 To give an indication of our rate of progress it is necessary to quote last week's figures for purposes of comparison. .-At the end of last week the state o'f ' tlie books was: — • Total fit. . Available. Mounted 43 38 Artillery 160 100. Engineers 49 22 Signallers 13 13 Infantry 84 ■; 52 A'.S.C. 62 ' , 62 Ambulance ...... G7 67

Mounted .4 Artillery 8 Engineers — Signallers — Infantry 12 A.S.C.- - Ambulance — .Veterinary 2 Total 21 There are also on the city books 106 men who are candidates for n.c.o. rank, and are awaiting selection. They have signed on for the various arms as follows Mounted 13 Artillery 25 Engineers '10 Signallers , 5 Infantry 35 A.S.C. 11 Ambulance ' 6 .Veterinary 1 Total .'. ..106