SHORT OF MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2705, 26 February 1916, Page 6

INFANTRY NEEDED ii a 1 THE NEW RECRUITING SCHEME * a • . 1 COMPULSION NOT YET ; i f There is a considerable shortage of * infantry for the next reinforcement £ draft, the- 14th, which is to go into camp i early next month. s The South Island is reported to be c recruiting verv badlv. ! • t Latest City Recruits. ; The following have been enrolled at j Buckle Street: — /, Frank Benson, fireman, City (In- j fantry). _ ; James Boylan, fireman, City (In- i fantry). . 1 Patrick Lahey, labourer, City (In- ] fantry). s John K. . Cameron, labourer, City s (Infantry). William Albert Smith, labourer, j Lower Hutt (Infantry). • 1 S. V. Knypers, boiiermaker, City (In- 1 fantry). . i Alexander K. Wilson, seaman, City ] (Infantry). . 5 John Carmody, grocer, City (Home \ Service). ■ ? Digbv Andrews, coach-painter, ' town (Infantry). £ James Brackie, Corporation employee, 1 Citv (Infantry).. c Horace B. Smith, freezer hand, Aijcc- f town (Infantry) , 1 Francis Hal'old Keeble, Civil Servant, ( City (Infantry). _ ' William Grant, engineer, City (In- < fantry). ! Walter Newell, "labourer, . Newtown' i (Infantry). . ' Joe Williams, farmer, Masterton '(In- { fantry). < Men Sent to Camp. ] Tlie following have been sent from Wellington City to join the Maori Reinforcements: —2377, Te Ao Rukiruki; 3120, Taraktai Heketa; 2784, Te Slate. Yesterday Robert Yarrow was sentinto Trcntham Camp as an A.S.C. driver. , Giving Voluntaryism, a Trial. The Hon. J. Allen, Minister of Defencej who is on a short visit to Dun- | edin, informed a "Star" representative , that the new recruiting scheme is well j advanced generally and exceptionally f well forward in some places where cntlius- t iasm has prompted a keen grip of the ; details of the comprehensive organisa- ] tion aud a thorough understanding of l requirements. Here (says, the "Star") ) it is interesting to note that the Min- ( ister, who has a very full knowledge of s the demand for conscription through- ] out the country, and who has never ( shown any aversion .to compulsion in j defence, is strongly of the opinion that , the public should agree without liesita- , tion to sink all personal differences as j regards the, question of compulsory , .military service until the voluntary s.ys- \ tem has been tested with complete , thoroughness. ■ "The position is clear," said Mr. Allen. "The representatives of the people have decided to cive ,a filial trial to tho voluntary principle of recruiting, and I think it is now a common duty to lay aside personal opin- . ions, and to -work in enthusiastic unity for the purpose of exhaus- ! tively testing' voluntaryism, which un- , doubtedly has yielded splendid results. ( Then, if we find that voluntary recruitins is inadequate for the demands of i war, none of us need have anv hesitation about adopting the principle of compulsion. That, I think, should bo the present policy of all tho people." No Immediate Need for Compulsion. 1 -As regards the new recruiting scheme, the Defence Minister is confi- ; dent (scCys the Dunedin "Star") that if . it be taken up with all the enthusiasm of which New Zoalanders are capable of exercising in a'great cause there will bo no immediate need of resorting to compulsion. He mentioned as an inof real enthusiasm the manner in which the AVaitaki County Council ' havo adopted tho scheme, and have maclo initial arrangements, The county clerk has carefully examined the rolls, has noted the transfer of persons to other districts sin«> the rolls were prepared, and has split the lists into small district rolls,. so that recruiting committees know exactly the extent of canvassing required in each district. 'This county council appear to have the scheme in thorough working order. "That is.tlio work we want done," remarked -Mr. Allen, "and tho Rocruitint; Board are willing to render all the assistance possible in explaining and removing any difficulty or misunderstanding. If it be desired, a member of tho board will attend to explain details and help all he can in starting it ; or, if unable to get away, will provide a competent substitute. We want to see the rolls containing tho names of oligiblo men split up into smaller rolls for tho different districts within a given area, and also to see exactly "what quotas are required for each Reinforcement, and to divide the quotas in tho same way for small districts. Tho recruiting _ bodies know definitely when each Reinforcement will go into camp for six.months ahead, and the scheme is so arranged, that each district may be thoroughly canvassed for its' quota each month. After one list,has been exhausted attention will then be Given to the succeeding list. By doing this recruits will know exactly wlien they are to go into ■ camp. It is not advisable • to prepare for more than six months' requirements in order , to'obviate any tendency there might be for men to enlist for a Reinforcement a long time ahead, and thus put off service indefinitely. _ Over 13,000 men will be required in six months, so recruiting bodies will recognise that effort at securing full quotas from each district must be continuously energetic." Tho West Coa9t. All the local bodies in Westland have agreed to support the Government's recruiting scheme, says a southern paper. At a meeting of representatives at Hokitika to organise united action, it was uocidod to hold a national service throughout Westland some day in March, witli a mass meeting in Hokitika. It wrfs resolved to ask a member of the Government Recruiting Board io attend and address the assemblage, and it is also intended to ask > returned soldiers to speak. The Government will bo asked to arrange a i suitable train service convenient 'for ■ countrv visitors, and to declare a pubi lie tnroughout the district, also i to organise a military parade and take i other steps to make the gathering im- • pressivo of the needs of Hie nation. Tho speakers _ were unanimous in sup- ■ port of organising a monster gathering ' for tho purpose in view. i Wellington Organisation. Two prominent officials of the Citi--5 zens' Defence Corps have returned to s Christchurch from a visit to Wellingr ton. Their object was primarily' to f ventilate several grievances on tho part 5 of returned soldiers and others, and 3 ascertain the workings of the Baio llet cords Pay Office and the Soldiers' In--1 formation Department. They went . back with certain misapprehensions i removed, and paying a warm tribute to b the efficient manner in which those doll partmonts were working. Whilst in r Wellington they visited the War League r Recruiting Office, where they found one ' innovation which could be introduced e with advantage in other places—viz., the presence of a doctor and dentist all

day at the office to examine recruit's as soon as they register for service. The Pensions. "The War Pensions Act," the Hon, J. Allen is reported to have said in Dunedin, "is being administered very fairly, as far as my judgment goes. It makes liberal provision for the soldier and his wife and children and dependents. I am aware there are some people \v]io cavil at the definition of "dependent." We have provided in tho Act that those who are dependent 011 a soldier when he went away should reccive assistance if ho happens to be killed or disabled. Somo people are asking that dependents who did not receive assistance from a soldier before he went away should also receive assistance, but it is difficult to seo the losic for that, except in tho case of elderly fathers and mothers, and in that case we have provided for them under tho Act. When the mother reaches the ago of 50. and tho father 55 then, oven though the son had never given them anything at all, and if they are in want, we provide for them, iii many cases of this kind pensions havo already been granted under tho Act. We are giving it to them because they have reachcd an age when they cnuno't help themselves very well, and w? are supposing that the son might have done something for them if he had lived. _ "There is talk about the pension being given as a right. It is given absolutely as n, right, but either, tho -board has to decide the nature of the disability or somo hard and fast rule has to be put into tho law. Somo of tho pension laws in other countries have attempted to put in such a rule, and say that, such and such an injury means "half disability." and so on. * I CO n. sidcred that matter when the Act was being drefted, and came to the conclusion that it would be better to leave the condition of tho disability to the board, and I venture to say that under the board the interpretation of "disability" ..is more liberal than if it was defined by Ac't. There would be 110 give-and-take under the .Act, but there is a' little with tho board. Therefore, the denendonts havo a pcrf«ot right to pension if they comply .with the conditions—that is to say, if there are dependents."