COMMONWEALTH & WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2668, 13 January 1916, Page 7

COMMONWEALTH & WAR

! THE RECRUITING CAMPAIGN DETAILS ABOUT WAR FUNDS Some idea of tho efforts that' aro being niado by tho people of Australia in tho prosecution of the war was given to an Auckland reporter by Mr. W. H. Bagnall, Labour member for tho Sydney suburban constituency of St. George in tho Now South AYales Legislative Assembly. Sir. Bagnall, who left for Picton yesterday, said that tho Federal Government's new system of local recruiting committees, under tho control of each local mayor or shiro president, was expected to produco good results. From the war register obtained soiuo time ago a mass of information had been secured, and now all men of military ago were being circularised through the post. Each man received a form .asking for particulars of his age, condition (married or single), health, etc., and the number of persons dependent, on him. The form also asked him to state whether ho was prepared to enlist at once, or whether ho was prepared to enlist at a later date, and if so, when. If lie should be unwilling to enlist at all, tho recipient was asked to state his reasons as explicitly as possible. The recruiting committees' part camo after the filling in of, the forms. In the caso of men who failed to respond to the appeal, .tho committees were asked to make a personal appeal, and to uso all reasonablo means to induco eligiblo men to enlist. The scheme was thus on much the same lines as that inaugurated by Lord Derby, and later in Now Zealand. It was just getting into operation, and was oxpcctcd to have very satisfactory results. At the present time there were about 150,000 Australian troops on active service overica, and about 75,000 more wero in training. These required approximately 9000 men a montU as reinforcements. The raising of an additional 50,000 men by Junfc next, however, would require a greatly increased effort, and it was expected that tho monthly quota would 'go up to fully 16,000 men. So.far recruiting had been very well maintained, though there had been a falling off during the past three months, partly on account of harvest and partly through the''great prosperity of the ciuntry as a whole. There was evidence, though, that this difficultv was only temporary. There was very little conscription talk, for tho reason that mast people felt that it was duo to the British Government to give a lead ill the matter, especially as so many men were required to remain in the overseas Dominions for the production of foodstuffs, wool, and other necessaries. It was not expected that any sort of compulsion would be necessary for the present, but if unattached simile men failed to come forward steps irouid probably be taken to deal with them, as in England. Universal service leagues have been formed in various parts of the country, but have suspended operations at tho request of the Government. It was generally felt,that conscription for the fighting line alone was not' sufficient as there was a large opening for men technically unfit, to fight, but yet able to assist iu various civil occupations such as farming and the production of military munitions and equipment. No real objection could bo taken oven to work of this character. Tlie banker and the bricklaver were fighting side by side .in the trenches, and no reason could be found why they should not work side by side in the performance of other necessary service for the State. ,

Generosity of the Public. Dealing -with tho question of war funas, Mr. Bagnall said that New South Wales "was proud of having raised by public subscription fully £2,000,000 for war purposes. Soon after the outbreak of war the Lord Mayor of Syduey inaugurated a fund for the relief of general distress, and this, had now reaclied a total of £300,000. The Red Cross Sick and AVounded Fund was started aftorwards, and now amounted to £750,000. From this latter a sum of £150,000 had been allocated as a relief fund for the benefit of returned wounded soldiers exclusirely, and a further £50,000 had been • paid in by the Cfovernment out of the old funds remaining over from the South African war. _ Tho Rod Cross Fund, strictly speaking, was intended for tho provision of hospitals and hospital ■equipment for the treatment of Australian soldiers in the field, in the baso hospitals and at home. There wero at least 2(i other funds for various purposes, one of which was the produce and supply fund By means of this fully £200,000 worth of supplies of all kinds, largoly produce and foodstuffs had been accumulated and dispatched for tho troops abroad.

Posting the Bill. The cost of the war to Australia at present was a million pounds a week. Ihis was being met by an extension of tho Commonwealth note issue, which now amounted to about £40,000,000. A further £20,000,000 had been raised by means of war loans, and 1 , assistance had also been received from the Imperial Government. A new income tax and a graduated land tax had been introduced, and these were expected to produce au additional £4,000,000 a year. The assistance received from the Homo Government was being used in the main for the carrying on of public works by the various State Governmenta. It was generally held that these works should not be allowed to slacken, as 'upon them very largely depended the increased production of raw material and foodstuffs. The prospects for the primary producer were very bright, and it was felt that progress must be made even if money could not be had under 6 per cent. After the war it was probable that money would be even dearer, and it was necessary to get as much done as possible before that time arrived. For another thing, they wauted to open up as much land as possible for the use of tho thousands of soldiers who would return when hostilities ceased. They desired to augment tho Empire's food supplies in every possible way. The New South AVales | wheat yield this year was 00,000,000! bushels, au increase of 20,000,000 bushels on the 1914 harvest. At swell a rato of progress it would not bo long btefore 100,000,000 bushels were harvested. Tbo South AY ales State Labour Government was firmly convinced that loans for remunerative public works must bo raised. Until five years ago, when Labour came into office, the annual expenditure of loan money was about two and a-lialf millions a year. Since then it had averaged seven millions, whilo.for tho year belore tho war it was no less than nine millions, and it would bo eight millions lor the current year.