THE NEW RECRUITING SCHEME

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

THE NEW RECRUITING SCHEME

STATEMENT BY HON. JAS. ALLEN. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hamilton, February '10. The attitude of certain local bodies towards the new recruiting scheme was mentioned by the Hon. J. Allen at Hamilton to-day. Mr. Allen said lie could not give a lead on tho question. If they chose to express opinions against the scheme he could not help it. Sp far as the expressed opinion of the majority of the local bodies of the South Island was concerned they had, in the majority of cases, spoken in favour of compulsion. Ho had not heard what tho North Island bodies thought. The present Government was committed to give the voluntary system a thorough tost. They had to consider the fact that there may be peoplo strongly opposed to compulsion, and tho Government had to try and secure, instead of alienating, the support of these people. Of course, if the present scheme fails, _ and no better voluntary system is devised, there will be nothing else for it but compulsion. Mr. Allen added that it was not intended by the new scheme that a man who had once stated reasons why he could or could not enlist, should be again approached, ns his name would bo placed on the list of the local Recruiting Committee as canvassed. The Minister further pointed out that no man would be permitted to act as a recruiting officer who had not offered his services, and had been rejected as medically unfit, or had given genuine reasons for not being ■able to do a share in the firing line.