THE CALL FOR MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2692, 11 February 1916, Page 6

THE CALL FOR MEN

THE NEW DRAFT

COMING FORWARD VERY WELL

CITY'S ACHIEVEMENT

' </h Tuesday it was officially announced tli'at : .-the '.'Wellington Military District had- done very'well in its effort to raise the plumber of men required of it for tlio-13th Reinforcements. Now it can .bo • stated, on the authority of Defence ®eadauartersj tl)!it. the whole force, is ieqnsidered .to be mobilising ' satisfac•torily.

- A question asked yesterday as- to how the force was coming forward was 'answered with tlio reply,: "Very 'well, 'indeed." •

It is expected that there trill he a slight shortage, and that this will bo 'in the infantry arm. Therefore, Headquarters "wish it known that they can Vio with still more infantry.

; It has not been stated yet _ what course is to be followed for filling up . . .whatever shortages pcciir. Wellington Military District, which has a shortage i of about fifty, could easily make good | its own deficiency. At the end of last ' week the district was 108 over strength in infantry alone. •City Sends Three Reinforcement Drafts. Since the war began, Wellington City Mid Suburbs lias sent 5469 men to the I- . camps to be trained for active service, and 8" men to be permanent camp ■workers. This total of 5556 does not ini elude the men the City sent to; Samoa, i Wellington's share -in the original i. • .Samoa. Force was about 1000 men. The ; : .;-City's gross figures, therefore, are Jabout 6550, but, as some of the Samoa ! men who-returned to-New,Zealand and i then went' on to Gallipoli are counted <•.- , 'twice, the net total may be set down at ! about 6000. The men rejected and i otherwise, lost. number.- SJU47; These ; figures are according to a 'return made ■ , available by the City Group O.'Hce. The 6000 men Wellington lias sent fti'o numerically equal"'to about three, reinforcement <Irafts. A Request for Infantry. ' ' The City office was instructed yester- | . 'Jay to send another thirty infantry to : .lamp to-day. These men are to be used . to fill shortages in the draft now goingI in. Men willing to ,go in to-day may he. examined at the Suckle Street Recruiting Office and sent to camp without delay. If the thirty are not all obtained to-day, an effort will be made to secure the balance to-morrow. Auckland and the Recruiting Board's Schsme. f ' A copy of the circular issued by the •- new • Kecrniting Board, containing details of. the recruiting'scheme, has been j - received by tho Mayor of Auckland, Mr. i " J., fl. Gunson. Asked what steps'lie proposed to take to give effect to the : scheme in Auckland, .Mr. Gamsonre- • . plied that he had conferred'the previous ' morning with Colonel; Hume, Officer i Commanding the Auckland Military : --'District, in regard- to the- question of ! . -.'f.taking action. The returns; so.far as ; Auckland district is' concerned; how■V ever, were-found to be so satisfactory that-it was not considered necessary to i take any further steps in addition to the arrangements 'which' were already in hand.. "All our patriotic committees : have been communicated with," ■ added ,;3fr; Gunson, "and I believe that Auck-land-will continue to furnish its quota, . for there is increasing confidence on 1 ' tsvery side that single men eligible,for . - service who have hitherto-failed, to offer themselves are realising- their-* obligai tioris to a greater'extent: and enlisting' in larger numbers. The group just dispatched represented a very fine 'body of men, and tlio determination and enthusiasm which characterised tliem on their' departure was very noticeable. • This, I believe, represents the feeling ; r in Auckland, aiid while it exists it will . jiot bo necessary to take, stops to stinralate recruiting." ..., , ""i

| Something Mr. Cunson Overlooked. 1 Bearing in mind ; the Auckland Mayor's reference above to Colonel

I 'Hume, the following from Colonel farewell address to :the troops Ss interesting:—"Wo ■ still want men, jandmore men. There is ho use disguising the fact, there are many young, unencumbered, physically fit men in ; 'Auckland who have not come forward." ■. ' Both these extracts are from the New ■ 'Zealand "Herald."- v- ! ..." OTAGO'S QUOTA. !• •■ , IBs TeleeraDi- Aa«w'titMon-<.' I Dunedln, February 10. The Otago quota for the 13th Reinforcements was enthusiastically farewelled to-day. The troops left Dune- . dm fourteen short of the quota.

• Rowland, Jeweller,.9o'MarineVs"Street,""is' ' tb<? firm who are giving 15 per cent. (3s. in the £) to soldiers or their friends when „ purchasing anything for them. Badges, ; watches, engagement rings, etc. ; "See Rowland, about it.—Advt.