THE LACK OF MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2656, 30 December 1915, Page 6

THE LACK OF MEN

NO RECRUITS

AND A SHORTAGE OP 400

DOMINION POSITION

Over 400 infantry short and not a solitary man being sent into camp—-that was tlie position of recruiting m New Zealand, according to Defence Headquarters. The 11th Reinforcements respecting which the shortage exists, went into camp on December 14 nearly 600 short. Tho authorities asked the districts to fill all gaps, and ordered that the men were to be got into Trent'ham not later than December 23. That date passed l , and still many men were required, so the time limit was extended to December 31. Yesterday, December 31 was two days off, and the shortage was a dozen Mounted Rifles and over 400 Infantry, although tho orders to districts have been to strain overy effort to get men by that date. The men wore to be sent into camp from day to day ( as they became available, and Wellington Military District has sent in about 100 towards tho reduction of the shortage. Yesterday, however, there was not a man en route to Trentham | from any part of, Now Zealand. Wellington Military District is, in addition, about 200 men short for . the January draft. The latest ret,uxii showed the district to be 96 infantry short for that draft, but since it made no allowance for the possible reduction of men for January by the fact that the 100 men have gone into camp to make up December shortages. The district lias twice as many mounted men registered as it requires, and thrice as many artillery. It is understood! that in the whole of Now Zealand there are about 4600 men on the recruits' registers. That includes men for all arms. The infantry enrolled number about 1700, not all of whom are prepared to go into camp in January. District Efforts Compared. The weekly list of registration percentages was issued from headquarters yesterday. It shows the district percentages of the total Dominion registrations as follow: — Auckland Military District 24.33 Wellington M.D 40.89 Canterbury M.D 16.56 Otago M.D 12.22 The district percentages of the total registrations for'tho various arms of the service are reported to be: —

GITY MEN FOR JANUARY DRAFT. One hundred and twenty-four men have been called up as portion of the Wellington City quota of the 32th Reinforcements. Their names are: — Mounted Rifles. N. Howell, George Stanley Blake, Harry. Duck, William D. Matheson, Adam Robertson, John Henry Sergeant, Sidney Gresswell, Percival Charles Cameron, Leonard Percival Apperley, Geo. M. Campbell, Frederick CornweU. John Osmond Duggan, William Laslcey, Robert Ephrain Selby, Roy Caraachan, William B. Hughes, Henry Hugh Wray, James Lewis Macaulex, Robert M'Nicholl, Norman William Ohappell,. William Henry Trilford, Henry Murray Rorke, Robert M'Callum, Thomas Spearman; Victor Richard Robinson, William Hunter, William Robert Stewart, Arthur Robert Gillard', Arthur Stevens. Alfred William Kirkland, Percy Reginald Speers, Walter M'Farlane, H. G. Donaldson. Artillery. Gunners: Ronald Blair, Arthur Fraser Clark, Cecil T. Duck, John Edward Donnelly, George Albert Finlayson, Norman Cecil Graham, James W. Redmond, Harry Toomer, John D. Wolland. Drivers: Ernest HaTold Bosher, Darid Leslie Burt, Percy Hubbard, William Ross M'Culloch, Churchill Peach, Alfred James Shilling, Ralph Lush. Engineers. J. S. Cummin<*s (blacksmith), A. J. Hickraott (mason), Roy Hull (painter), H. H. King (plumber). Signal Service. H. Amas, Thos, J. M'Mahon. Infantry. R. J. Howan, Edmund Montgomery, Joseph. Benjamin Curtis, John William Coleman, George Bennet, John Hubert Watters, Herman Coppen.i John Wedges, Frank MacAvoy, Thomas Ward, William George Cole, Thomas Donovan, Ernest Edward Bargery, George Wyeth, Robert Jas. Reid, J. L. W. Aitkin, John Granville, G. Anderson, Percy Grainger, Sidney John Sapsford, Arthur Burrell, James Joseph Bourke, Wilfred Graham Pvlo, Arthur -T. Ham, James Kelleher, Samuel Arnold Atkinson, Frank Davis, W. E. Elliss, Daniel Casey, John Sinclair M'Kay, Thomas Thornton, H. G. Stanfield, J. T. Kent, Thomas Davis Mockford, Henry Ernest Smith, John Reynolds, Samuel Cameron, William M'Hattie, Thomas Bruce Wallace, Hairy Leo Naughton, Charles Wilfred Looney, John Frederick Bowen, Arthur Haylock, Douglas Souter, Serbert Hodder, James. Combe, Arthur Christian Rich* nrttffiji/'A. W. Lo&khart Laurenson, Robert Harold Vaney, John Frederick Burton, John Archibald Wiseman, Charles William Ambrose, Walter Valentino Fisher, Archie Barker, Ernest Charles Magee, Walter Percival Pines, Samuel Stott, Frederick Langdon, Robert Bruce Stafford, Arthur James Napier, Victor Pidgeon, Harold Ray, E. P. Neell. Army Service Corps. P. V. Bradstock (clerk), W, V. Land (clerk), J. R. West (saddler), J. A. Mcran (driver). Six men for the ambulance section are being chosen this afternoon. I LATEST RECRUITS. The folio'ving men were enrolled in the City yesterday:— Victor Smith, seaman (artillery). Joseph Thos. Woollev, cook (nounted). Joseph Humphries, huslimnn (mounted). Stephen Kerridge, marine officer (signal service). ' 0. C. Stevens, driver (mounted). Percy J. Ryan, electrician (infantry). Wm. Burrow, farm hand (infantry). C. Thauland, hushman (infantry). L. Guslnvseii, seaman (infantry).

Auck- Welling- Cauterliiml. ton. bury. Otago. Mounted ... 18.71 49.24 19.72 12.32 Artillery ... 16.S6 54.21 14.88 14.05 Engineers .. 23.92 01.49 IS.02 8.97' Sisrnnl 31.39 52.32 9.31 6.98 Infantry 25.4S 47.41 15.30 11.81 ,V H (J 24.62 42.4S 13.85 19.07 Am.bulanco 30.75 42.24 1G.38 10.G3 Veterinary 15.79 57.89 18.43 7.89 Hospital Ship 26.67 45.00 13.33 15.00 Tunnellers 50.75 29.85 16.42 2.9S Samoa 31.37 9,SI 47,0.1 11.76 Maoris 69.39 28.57 2.04 —