RECRUITING SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2667, 12 January 1916, Page 6

RECRUITING SCHEME

ORGANISATION DETAILS

BADGES. TO BE ISSUED

;■. . Art the, meeting of tie Recruiting Board held last Monday, presided l over by the Right Hon.; W..;'F. ;Massey fi the scheme of reoriiitiiig to enable the Dominion to fulfil its obligations to the Imperial Government during the . present year was' uuder consideration. An outline of the scheme as adopted by the board has now been issued'by tha .-. Prime Minister. It will be seen that the . scheme provides for the duties of tho_Recruitiug Board, and the organisation and duties of rccmitiiiK. commit-. ' tees in the various parts or the Dominion. An interesting feature of the scheme is ■ the decision to issue badges , *o_, those .: who ~ attest, _ -wihich, .■ in. tho opinion of the board, will act as a great Jielp to the recruiting movement. Tho •' necessary detailed instructions to give 'effect to the scheme are now being prepared," and will in due course be issued to recruiting committees.- The following are the.'general outlines of the jscheme:— Duties of Recruiting Board. 1 1. To use every endeavour to secure !■ the acceptance of its policy , throughout the Dominion. 2. To co-ordinate the work of recruit- • ing as a part and without prejudice .'to the administration of the Defence Department considered "as a whole, •which has for its solo object the _dis- . patch of troops' to the front trained to the highest possible state of. efficij .'. snoy. and in accordance with the re- ; juirements of the Army Council. 3. To authorise and control expendi- , ■ Jtnre connected with recruiting. . 4.- Te decide policy as to the allot- ' taent of quotas from time to time in : accordance with the requirements for ,war purposes. _ ' o. To authorise the Defence DepartIment to adjust oxcess or shortage in any particular quota in one area hy i transfers of .men to or from other areas. 6. To issue circulars to local bodies or other organisations requesting the ; formation of recruiting committees to ; coroperate with the existing committees - . and the Recruiting Board. 7. To control and co-ordinate the Work '■ 'of'the Eccruiting Committees so that y v aJI ma.v work smoothly and in co-opera- ' Hion with the one object. 8. To decide what information is to >>o obtained from the Government Statistician and liow it is to be used. ; _. 9. To issue tho Alphabetical Rolls to . iho recruitin.a committees. , 10. To consider- complaints tf.iafc certain businesses and trades are heinff un- , duly prejudiced by depletion of personnel. 11- To ensure that, the'essential husi- . r.osses of the Dominion are not depleted ■ to 'such .in extent as to affect the Empire or: the Dominion in their efficiency ito continue the war. 12. To arrange for'spccial speakers to •.-Visit localities where recruiting is slack - lor misunderstandings. exist. ' 13. To issue special posters and .--leaflets when required.'

I Organisation of, Recruiting Committees. ■. 1. Pending the preparation of tho ; alphabetical rolls by the Government ( Statistician, it is intended that the fol- , lowing bodiel shall be asked if they are willing to co-operate with the Re- ■ cruiting Board by the formation of re- ■ cruiting committees:—(a) County councils, (b) city and borough councils, (o) town boards, (d) existing recruiting or- : ganisations not included in (a), (b), or (o). . . . 2. In addition to the above it -may :. also bo considered advisable to secure : the co-operation of the following:—(a) ; farmers' unions, (b) labour unions, (c) school committees, (d) road boards. !■ The great essential is that the.comrniti too snail be capable of appealing to all : classes. 3. It is definitely laid down that*no • person engaged in the personal canvass . shall be himself eligible for, service un-' less 'he has enlisted. 4. The proposed basis of organisation . lor working is that each recruiting committee shall be provided with alphas helical rolls of all men of military age resident in'its neighbourhood. The ; recruiting committee will be responsible . for approaching those , who have notgiven a satisfactory answer ,and for notifying the result of the appeal to : the group officer for record and communication to the Recruiting Board. 'iWheii there are more than one recruit- , ang . committee working in the same locality it will be. the duty of the group officer to keep them all constantly in- ; formed of every man who has been ap- : proached by any one recruiting, committee in order that another committee may not again trouble him if his answer is satisfactory any one way or the other: 5. Members of Parliament are to be : asked to co-operate with recruiting com- : jnittees in their respective electorates.

Duties of Recruiting Committees, ,'Recruiting committees are to ascertain from group officers what men have not been approached in their locality, and also to ascertain the names of men ;Who have apparently no good excuse for declining to volunteer; and, further, to > ensure that the personal appeal is made ■by the person likely to have t'lie greatest influence over the possible recruit. . Recruiting committees will lend every assistance to provide drafts for which shortages may exist, and to ensure the attendance of recruits for medical examination and the assembling of local drafts to go into camp and otherwise furnish all necessary information. The Government has every confidence that recruiting committees generally will work with vigour and enthusiasm, and do_ everything possible to enable the Dominion to do its full share in carrying on the war. Defenoe Headquarters' Part. ■Th'o Defence Headquarters will keep the Recruiting Board constantly advised of all requirements, and also in regard to the progress of recruiting in all parts of the Dominion. The Depart"- • ment will allot quotas to groups, call up drafts when required, and make all necessary arrangements for transfer to training camp. The work of the Defence Department will be co-ordinated with the policy of the Recruiting Board and with the work of the recruiting committees; The Badges. It has been decided that a system of badges shall be instituted in appropriate colours to be issued— (a) To those who have attested and are waiting to be called up. (b) To those who have, enlistedbut who may be rejected as physically unfit. (c) To those who have enlisted, i but who may afterwards be exempted for special reasons. (d) To members of the Expeditionary Force who have_ returned to ' • the Dominion from active service. Heavy penalties will be provided for : falsely wearing badges.