THE CALL FOR MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2700, 21 February 1916, Page 6

THE CALL FOR MEN

RECRUITING PROBLEMS CITY COMMITTEE AND THE MINISTER THE ISSUE OF BADGES Certain recruiting questions were discussed oil Saturday morning, by the Defcnce Minister on the one hand, and representatives of the Wellington Recruiting Committee on the other. The members of the committee -waiting upon the. Minister were Mr. J. P. Luke (the. Mayor), Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., and Captain Barclay.

Mr. Luke. said that a meeting of the committee had been held, but. they- had agreed thai, not very much effective recruiting work could be done until the badges were issued. The committee also thought that some binding pledge should be required of men enlisting, in order that they might not' simply disappear. Iti England a man who enlisted took the King's shilling. Mr. Allen: Who says that -recruits for Kitchener's Army take the shilling?

Mr. Luke: I don't know about Kitchener's Army, hut I know what the custom used to be when men were enlisted for-the Army.

Mr. Allen: Yon are speaking of the old Army.

Mr. . Luke said that /tlie request of the deputation was that some card should ho prepared for recruits to sign, and that this card should bear on the fane of it a pledge that would be binding on anyone signing it. Mr. Lnko spoUs also of (lie difficulty experienced in finding employment in the City for men waiting to go into camp. Occasionally tho Defence authorities announced that there was a shortage in a draft called up, and men rushed to Wellington to make up the shortage. Only a certain number were required, and it often happened that men 'coming from a distance were too late, and wero told they could not get into camp for a month. Meantime these men had to lie provided with work. He urged the ■ Minister cither to find as much work as nossible for such men, or to send 1 them into a camp. Here To-day, and Cons To-morrow. Captain Barclay said that the main difficulty of the committee now was to find work for men waiting to be called up. He knew of 12 or 14 men now in the City who had come here expecting to, be absorbed into the 13th Reinforcements. Mr. Allen: Are they infantrymen ? Captain Barclay: A number of them are. Three I know for certain. Some are for the mounteds, and I think there aro two or threo Engineers. 'Captain Barclay went on to point to the necessity for filially securing all men who registered. Many men registered and disappeared, never to be heard.of again. Mr. Allen: Can you give me any idea what number P . Captain Barclay: Probably out of the 2000 men whom I have registered, I should say about 40, or perhaps 30, will never be seen again. Continuing, he suggested that men enlisting should be sworn in at once. Dr. Newman said that one of tho objections to the present system was that men were not. finally pledged when they registered. The result ivas shown in a recent experience in Canterbury district, v,'here of 6ome 350 men called ub 179 did not appear. These men had all been passed "medicallv fit-," and yet the Defence authorities had no hold on them. Dr. Newman spoke also of the complaint of South Island men who happened to be in the North Island—that they woro_ not allowed to ioin a South Island unit from Wellington, and that iu order to do so they were compelled to bear the expense of a trip to Christchurchy or elsewhere to register in their own districts. Tills was not fair. Dr. Newman strongly urged the importance of amended pensions legislation. Under the present scheme men did rot know how their dependents would faro. Ho would advise tho Government to make nil announcement at once that next session a. Bill would be introduced by which pensions on the present scale would bo given a? of right. _ If this wero done, men would ho offering freely tnough. THE MINISTER'S REPLY. LESSON OF LORD DERBY'S SCHEME. The Minister, replying, said ho would at all times be only too glad to hear of any difficulties in tho way of recruiting, and to assist tho organisations wherein lie could. Tho first question asked was übout badges. He had been advised that these would be ready for issue in the course of next week. The distribution of badges, however, would be no easy matter. Returned soldiers could bo easily reached by the Defence Department. Nor did he think the .Defence Department would have any great difficulty in reaching the men aaccepted for service waiting to be called up, but lie thought the Department would bo glad of the assistance of the recruiting committees to get into touch with them. Indeed, the Department would be relieved of a-great deal of work if the local committees would distribute the badges. In any event, it would be impossible to get all the badges issued before the work of the recruiting committees ought to commence. Mention had been made of'men exempted because they were engaged fn the production of war supplies. In point of fact, these men would be easy to reach because they wero so few in number. The Minister of Munitions had refused to grant exemption to any classes of workers, having decided to deal with every individual case on its merits. Lord Derby, in his report upon his own scheme, had admitted that a great mistake was made in granting exemption to class after class of men. This had almost destroyed the Derby scheme, and no such mistake would be made in this country.

Methods of Enlistment. Mr. Allen spoke of the method of enlisting men. He had seen the statement published that the practice of giving a .shilling to all men eulisting was still the rule in England. He did not believe that this was so. In fact, he understood that they were now adopting in England the New Zealand practice of not calling men up until they were required. • lie still held that t he policy adopted in New Zealand for fcho calling up and training of men was the soundest policy adopted in any part of the British Empire, aiul other Dominions were coming round to this view, as the result of their experience. As to the request that men should be definitely and finally hound on enlistment, lie thought the best evidence that nothing of the sort was necessary was Captain Barclay's statement that out of 2000 mon enlisted only some 40 or SO could not lie found. ' He would ask Captain Barclay whether it was not fair 1:o assume that those men had perhaps enlisted elsewhere and gone into camp. If men were to be finally bound as soon ns they registered, tlie Government would have to fulfil its part of the bargain, and pay the men at once. Captain Barclay said that one serious objection fo the present system was that men registered their names who hail 110 intention of doing anything more. . He had in his office sets of papers from men who liar! enlisted, but who had not turned 'up for medical exoxamTnation. Generally speaking, the i.nica who behaved in this way. were of a

class who ought to know better. It was not the -horny-handed son of toil from the wharf or elsewhere who "avo trouble. These men were honest and straightforward. 'I.lie man who did not keep his word was rather "the halfHedged man, neither one tiling nor tho other."

.air. Allen: Don't yon think we shall get this man under tho badge system? Will he he able for very long to withstand criticism. Mr. Allen added that he feared that nothing would get all these men but compulsion. However, our system was a voluntary system, and wliilo it was such we could not bind men any more than by accepting their promise and their statement of their opinion towards enlistment. And there was a very strong reason for not taking men into camp at once—that it was very important to this country and to the Empire that, men should remain at their work until they were required for military service. As to the drawing up of a pledge that would be binding on men signing it, he was not wire that this could he done.

Captain Barclay suggested that men should bo asked to sign the second agreement oil the attestation sheet, which was somewhat iu the nature of a contract. He realised that -there was a difficulty about pay, and, that being a matter of policy, lie -would not discuss it. There was, however, on the other hand, tho difficulty of finding employment for men waiting, which would be got over at once if the men were paid. The question was which procedure would be likely to make the recruiting scheme more effective. One of the most helpful steps to be taken would be the issue of badges to men medically examined uml passed as lit or unfit. He would be only too glad to undertake the issue of these badges to the men who had registered at the Town Hall. Mr. Allen: And the Defence Department will bo only too glad to use your Bcrrices.

Captain Barclay referred to difficulties which had cropped up owing to the loss of enlistment papers in the Buckle Street office. He had sent papers there for men, and the men had found later by inquiry in the Buckle Street office that, tho papers could not bo , traced. Tho loss of these papers caused groat inccnvcnicnce, and some expense. It necessitated another medical examination, at a cost of 55., and he thought trio exercise of a little care would savo many ss. fees.

Men Should Stay at Work. Mr. Allen said he would inquire into any specific cases of loss of papers if particulars wero supplied. (Captain Barclay promised to supply some.) Regarding the suggestion that men should lie made on enlistment to sign a moro binding agreement, he did not think this was a feasible proposition, unless tlie (t overnment would at once begin to pay them. Even this wguld not get over Captain Barclay's difficulty, which was that men did not come along for medical examination. The difficulty about employing the men waiting to go into camp should not exist. There ought to bo no such unemployment if men -would follow the instructions and remain at work until they are called up. If tho committee desired, the Defence Department would take into camp at once all the infantrymen waiting and unemployed at that date. Tho reason why moro: men to fill up the 13th shortage had not been taken from Wellington was that they were anxious not to deplete Wellington unduly, but rather to make every district supply its own shortage. This offer, to take men into camp would apply only to the men waiting at that date. There could be no general promise to take all mon unemployed into camp, otherwise men would be leaving their work all over the country. This was exactly what he wished to avoid. It would paralyse industry, and it would over-crowd the camps and spoil «ur training scheme.

The Southern Men. The request made by Dr. Newman that southerh men should be allowed to register in Wellington for southern units was a reasonable one, and he would give instructions that it be complied with. Captain Barclay: In many cases I have registered Dunedin men or church men, or even West Coast mon, and I have asked Head Office to trauEfqr their pa.pors to the offices In these districts. > Mr. Allen: Do tlie.y do that for you? Captain Barclay: Well, I don't want to make a charge against anybody, but it is always giving them a great deal of trouble to do -it. Mr. Allen: Yory woll, I mil removo that trouble.

THE NEW ARM BADGE REGULATIONS

A general order announces:—

"111 pursuance of the Order-in-Couii-cil, dated February 11, 1916, making additional regulations undor tho War Regulations Act, 1914, the Hon Minister of Defence has approved l of the issuo of distinctive arm badges to the following ckisscs of men:—

(1) For men enlisted and waiting to be called up; khaki (drabjean) arm badge, with reel crown. (2) For men honourably discharged from the Expeditionary Forces; a scarlet arm badge with yellow crown. (3) For men inio have ottered themselves for active service in the present war and have been rejected a; Tillable to fulfil Defence Department's requirements; a French grey arm badge, with light green crown. (4) For men who aro engaged in an exempted industry; a light blue arm badge with white crown. With reference to (3), this badge will bo issued only to men rejected for service as permanently unfit, and (4), only to men who are engaged in an industry which, in the opinion of the Minister of Defence, is so related to tbo requirements of the present war that the recruiting of persons engaged in that industry is not expedient in the public interest- The badge 60 approved may be issued by any military officer to such persons as are deemed qualified to receive and i vcar the same. Every badlge bo issued shall he accompanied by a card signed by a military officer, and containing particulars as to the persons . to whom it is issued and the reasons far i Its issue. Prohibitions. ■No person other than a person to whom such a badge has been duly issued by a military officer shall wear any badge . bo approved' by the Minister of Defence, f or any badge so nearly resembling the , Bame as to be calculated to deceive. No [ person shall falsely represent himself to be a person who is entitled to wear any '> badge.' No person shall, without 1 hiwful' authority, supply any such badge ] V) any person not authorised to wear b the sanrn. ~ Obligations. i Tf.very person to whom any sueli t badge has been issued shall at all times - v, liile wearing the badge or having it in , his personal possession, carry with him » tho card issued to him along with the - badge as aforesaid, and shall, on tlio , request of any military officer or con- - stable, produce the said card for his s inspection. Every man to whom an f arm badge, has" been issued must, whilst 1 wearing it, have in his personal possesc Bion his "card of authority to wear," r in order that he may be able to produce s It, should ho be called upon to do so . Dy any military officer or constable.

lln tlio case of a man not being ablo to produce his '''card of authority to I'ear" v.'lien demanded (Ik; prnper nuthoMtv referred to above, the latter will take his name and address, and report the matter to the local police for investigafiou and report to the nearest /{roup officer

Moil who have enlisted and are waitins b" called up, will Ik; rpquirptl to "land over their arm badges to tlio Ki'oup officers when lliey arc called up .{or military service. Should a man

lose either his arm badge or card he should report tho loss to the officer by whom the aim badge was issued. All applicants for badges under (3) must be re-examined, as the conditions have lately beon altered; exccpt where tho certificate was issued since date of alteration.

J.n no case will an arm badge be issued to men who have been rejected oil account of a temporary disability, or to men ifio are obviously unfit for service in, and have not served with, the Expeditionary Force, namely, to men who totally blind, crippled, paralytic, ctc. Badges will he issued as under:—. Class No. 1. —At , recruiting officcs uiifter district arrangements. Class No. 2.—On application to Director of Baso Records, Wellington. Class Xo. 3.—At recruiting offices under district arrangements. Class No. 4. —By the quartermastergeneral (3), Defence Stores, iTack'e Snoot, Wellington. No badge of this class can be issued without the authority of tho Hon. tho Minister of Defence. Apniicaflona for exemption will only he entertained from men who have registered their names for service in the Expeditionary Force. Such applications must he made on their behalf by their employers, who must clearly prove that tho employees aro experts, required in the manufacture or supply of the essentials of war, or on duties in connection with the equipping and maintenance of the troops. Supplies of badges, with cards and their duplicates, for file, can be obtained by requisition from District Headquarters. The badge should be worn oh the right arm above the elbow. E-owland, Jeweller, 90 Manners Street, is tbe firm who are giving 15 per cent. (3a. -in the J2) to soldiers or their friends when purchasing anything for them. Badges, wristlet watches, engagement rings, etc. See Rowland about it.—Advt. All photographic supplies and Kodaks are. obtainable at Bagley's Pharmacy, Fi-atherston. Films developed, negatives printed; city prices—Advt.