THE CALL FOR MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2717, 11 March 1916, Page 6

THE CALL FOR MEN

OPEN AIR MEETINGS IN THE CITY ROUSING APPEALS BY SOLDIERS . £ TWO GOOD RALLIES Two open-air meetings were held last night, under the auspices of the Wellington Rccruiting Committee, one at Bculcott Street, and one at Courtenay Place. Tho meeting at Boulcott Street was tho best, and likely to prove tho most effeotivo recruiting meeting yet held in Wellington. At times there must have been 600 people in tho throng sunouuding the speakers, and quite two-thirds of them were young men, tho class of men who will never como to recruiting meetings held indoors, and yet the class of men for whose benefit recruiting meetings are arranged. The meeting at Courtenay Place had also this merit, though in a less marked dogree. It was, perhaps, less satisfactory, but it was a live meoting, if only for the reason that a fo'iy in tho audience displayed some hostility to the speakers. At Boulcott Street the speakers were Messrs.']?,. A. Wright and D. M'Laren, and Sergeant-Major Dent and Quarter-master-iS'erjjeant Brown. Tho speeches of tho soldiers were the feature of this meeting. Sergeant-Major Dent is a returned soldier, "slashed up," to use his own phrase, _ after having been three weeks at Gallipoli. He is now well, but he has a damaged right arm, and in a military sense is "unfit." He is now acting as an 'instructor at Trentham Camp. If Sergeant-Major Dent can make many speeches such as he made last night, he is likely to prove a very useful recruiting a-gent. There is a simple directness in his appeal, and a crude vigour in his methods which nro not to be lightly denied by any eligible men. He is quite unsolfconscious, has no ambition to bo accounted a sayer of smart or cutting things, and lie does not therefore tryto get people's attention by making them angry. He lias been there, ana he knows what ha is asking other men to do. Now lio is home again, and ho knows what men hero are thinking, and being a sensible man. he can give good advice. Those, three weeks spont at the front woi;e crowded weeks for everybody, and Sergt.-Major Dent lias stories to tell. He tells them withdut heroics, without coarseness, in simple incisive vernacular, but they reek of the red realism of war, and the 1 appeal that, they make is that war is a man's game. It is not possible for any man with fighting spirit in him, however that spirit mny be tailored over, to listen to these tales unmoved. Most useful of all was his talk about the grievances of returned men—the man who can't get his uniform, and the man who can't get his pay. He was able to give a confident assurance to any rccinit that .in the Army a man who had tho energy and good sense to ask for wliat_was due to him could get it, and he said that if returned soldiers would say nothing to the reporters, but go in a proper way about getting tho uniforms and tho pay due to them they would faro very well. He denied that returned soldiers wero not treated fairly by the Defence Department, and if mistakes occurred now and then, ho thought tho Department, which had a new and a big task on hand, should bo excused. The authorities were -doing their best. To the men who said, "Let the moneyed men go first," ho said, "I tell you the _ moneyed men aro there—in their proportion. i\'e men of tho working class can't oxpect to liavo a moneyed man on either side of us. There aren't enough of .them." He also argueil tho unreasonableness of tho attitude of tho men who said, "I'll go when Bill Jones goes." Quartermaster-Sergt. Brown has not yet, been to tho front, but he is going, for the sake of "tho wife aud lids." and he considers that it is his duty,to protect them by fighting for them. Ho is a Scot, with Ahe Doric tongue and tho peculiar rich humour and warm enthusiasm of the true Scot. His talk was full of firo an'd enthusiasm, tho same sort of enthusiasm which carried the Loudon Scottish along through their first awful baptism. He mado the crowd listen, and tho tilings he said were true things. His appeal was tho call of trio blood, tho call of vengeance, aud thero was fire in - his declaration that, ho would fight to the death to keep our land free from the oppressor. . His speech—it was rather a disjointed talk than a finished speech —was little less effective than that of his -comrade in kliabi. At Courtenay Place the speakers were tho' Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) Mr. W. Earnshaw, Mr. F. W. Manton, and Mr. W. Maddison. Tho. only speaker who met with any opposition was Mr. Earnshaw, who -was emphatic about the duty of men to fight,' and equally emphatio in his declaration in favour of national scrvice. So far as could be seen and hoard only two or three recalcitrants wero in the crowd. They showed their colour by noisy interjections, mostly inaudible, but their resentment did no morjo than to excite the contrary feeling in tho majority. There was a good deal of other noise, and a scuffle or so in the crowd, but those responsible for these disturbances wero not quite themselves. The meeting was a successful one in 6pite of them all. BIG RALLY AT THE TOWN HALL A big rccruiting meeting is to beheld at tho Town Hall on one evening next - week. A special attraction will be She performance by the Tramways Band of the music used by tho Engish bands during Lord Derby's recruiting campaign", which is said to be of a particularly bright aiid stirring character. There will only he two speakers, so that tho-function will take the form of an entertainment rather than a formal meeting. The date will ibe announced on Monday. At Brooklyn Schoolroom, on Monday, a meeting will be addressed by Messrs; J. H. Halliwell, W. Perry, and F. W. Manton, THE MEN OF MAKARA COUNTY RECRUITING REGISTER CRITICISED. Major A. A. Corrigan, Wellington Area Officer, waited on tho Makara ' County Council and delivered an address on the recruiting scheme which has been formulated by tho Recruiting Board. After much discussion it was decidod, on the motion of Councillor .T. • 11. Haggerty, seconded! by Councillor 1 J. A. Pyle: "That the council form a - committee to take charge of the re- - oruitng rolls supplied by tho board to . the council, and rectify the same by • making a complete list of those fit for i military service whose names do not ap- . pear on the roll." The council furthor agreed to assist ' the Recruiting Board in every possible 1 ivny. It was made clear by members 1 that whilst they would assist recruiting in every way, the sooner compul- > sory service was brought in tho better, j It has heen found on examination . of the rolls, supplied by the Recruiting • Board (and mado up from the Na- - tionnl Register), that these represc.it • a very incomplete register of tho n::li- ; tary fit in tho county. One council- | lor testified that in one riding alone " there were thirty, men of military, age

whoso names did not appear on the roll. Jf i; were the same in every liding thero must be a very great number who have not filled ill the National Register cards. DISTRICT SHORTAGES DEFENCE MINISTER'S OPINION. Tho shortages in tho Canterbury and Otago quotas for tho 14tli Reinforcements just mobilised wero brought under the notice of tho Defence Minister yesterday. Tile fact was also brought under his noticc that the Otago people had telegraphed that they would try to fill the gaps in tho Otago ranks without calling upon Wellington -md Auckland, but that no such message had been received from Canterbury. "Say that I think that both Canterbury and Otago ought to fill up their own shortages," said Mr. Allen. "The quotas have been allotted on an absolutely fair basis, according to the National Register returns of the men; of military ago in those districts," ■ SOLDIERS FROM SAMOA WHY WERE THEY GIVEN DISCHARGES? Major A. A. Corrigan, No. 5 Group Area Officer, attended tho Makara County Council yesterday morning. One of tho councillors raised the question as to how it was that so many of tho men who had returned from Samoa fit and well had been given discharges from the services, seoing that they had signed on for tho period of the war. Major Corrigan stated that man,- of the men from Samoa had been discharged. He said that he would bring the matter before tho Recruiting Board.' The members of the council. thought that some explanation should be given of tho somewhat anomalous conduct of the Defence authorities, who were striving so hard to get recruits and had discharged many medically fit men, who had mid tho advantage of good military training at Samoa. _ . positionlnauckland DEFENCE MINISTER AND LOCAL BODIES A SERIOUS OMISSION. The Defence Minister, who lias just returned from Auckland, wliither he went on a recruiting mission, is not quite satisfied with the account of his work there, which was circulated by the Press Association. It would appear frc|m tho Press Association message that Mr. Allen attended only one meeting in Auckland, and that it was not > wholly satisfactory. In actual fact ho : was present at two meotingb, ono of wiiich was wholly satisfactory. "It was my desire to have one united meeting-of tho Auckland City Council, and of all the neighbouring local authorities," said Mr. Allen yesterday, "but I found on arrival that arrangements, had been made for me to meet the Auckland City Council first of all. Reports of that meeting were circulated. I subsequently met all the other local bodies, and they unanimously passed a resolution to support the Government's recruiting scheme, saying nothing whatever about local camps or receiving camps. I understand , that these bodies are prepared to put aside all looal difficulties with the ono object of carrying out the Government's scheme. "The same thing happened at the meeting in Te Kuiti, of King Country local bodies. Tho delegates joined hands to support the Government scheme. "Tho Auckland City Council has a scheme of its own, and is not following the Government scliemo. Theirs may be better than tho Government scheme for anything I know. It has certainly been successful up till now. But I don't think it" provides for tho sustained effort intended under the Government scheme, nor does it make provision for the details, the purging of the rolls, and so on, which aro part of the Government scheme." AUCKLAND TO SUPPLY ADDITIONAL MEN. By TeleErraDh.—Press ,-Association. ■ Auckland, March 30. i . Auckland has been asked to supply an additional seventy men to fill tho gaps in tho 14t!i Reinforcements. Since tho now city recruiting station was opened last Saturday niglit, 450 men lavo enlisted. Tho 'quota for the 15th Reinforcements, to leave in April; is assured, tho book showing that 936 men have registered and 679 passed tho medical examination. If every, city in. New Zealand took recruiting as seriously as Auckland there would bo no danger of a shortage of men for some time to come. No fewer than. OS men came forward to-day, 51 being accepted and 26 deferred. Tho total registrations for tho week pre 50t), and of these 233 have been accepted, and 150 deferred for minor troubles which can soon be remedied. A spmedaddress SIR JOSEPH WARD IN THE SOUTH. By Telegranli—Press Association. tnvercarglll, March 10. Sir Joseph "Ward unveiled a tablet to enlisted soldiers at Waikiwi to-night and gave a stirring patriotic and recruiting address, the Mayor of Inyercargill (Mr. D. M'Farlane) presiding. There was a very largo attendance, and Sir Joseph Ward received a rousing reception at the conclusion of his speech. A resolution, thanking Sir Joseph Ward for bis able address and pledging tho meeting to do everything possible to forward tho Government's recruiting scheme, was carried unanimously, and the meeting closed with hearty cheers for Sir Joseph Ward. On Monday Sir Joseph _ Ward visits Winton to confer with citizens regarding the recruiting scheme, and on Monday night will address a meeting at Gore. He goes through to Wellington on Tuesday, hut expects te return to Southland in about a week's timo, and probably conduct a recruiting campaign. CONFERENCE AT GISBORNE. By Telegraph—Press Association. . Cisborne, March 10. An i important conference of local bodies' representatives was - held to hear from tho Hons. Russell and Mac Donald tho Government's desire with regard to the new recruiting scheme, advanced by the Rccruiting Board. Tho matter was previously considered at a conference in Gisborno, when a resolution in favour of eoiir ucriptio-u was passed, and nothing has been done further with the scheme. After discussion, during which it was stated that the Gisborno district had sent over 400 men in oxcess of its ntrgrcate quotas, a resolution was passed unanimously pledging the meeting to offer every possible .assistance to the Government scheme. ANSWERING THE CALL local enlistments 1 The following aro the names of thos'e ' recruits who l> avo ' enlisted and been passed as medically fit:— Robt. Isaac Ballantyne, City, plumber, engineers. Alex. James Ferguson, City, accountant. artillery. 1 Nicholas M. M'Carthy, Defence ' Steves, City, saddler, ordnance. Percy Mellor, Petone, engine-driver, ' mounted. ' 1 Geo. Alfred Symons, Petone, engine- ■ driver, mounted. Harry Leonard Jenkins, Island Bay, ; Civil Servant-, mounted. _ Haddelstone G. Bunny, City, farmer, i lll 'p n siiiiam Cullinaue, City, Civil Ser- ■,. yaiit> homo service* v

Donis Keonan, City, ticket-collector, ■infantry. Alexander Srnylic, Petone, tram examiner, infantry. Norman Woollctt, kinema operator, Oity, infantry. Wm. Honry Rose, driver, Auckland, mounted. Peter Thomas O'Brien, City, proofreader, infantry. ( Ernest Franklin, City, accountant, infantry. Cecil Edwin Taylor, Petone, hairdresser, infantry. Wm. Kills Taplin, Johnsonville, storeman, mounted. Maurice O'Connor, Melrose, armourer, engineers. John Steven Mulford, City, traveller, mounted. " Edward Leonard Hornibrook, City, draughtsman, infantry. Alfred James Balks, Loiver Hutt, bookbinder, infantry. John. Herbert Cole, Porirua, farmer, mounted. , Bernard Patrick Walsh, Newtown, armourer, engineers. Gerald Francis Hoggard, City, clerk, infantry. Arthur Teppenden, City, clerk, engineers. John Duffy, City, Defence Department, engineers. Alfred A. Brown, City, woodwork ;'un Btructor, engineers. Augustus Butler, City, saddler, engineers. John James Dormer, City, carpenter, engineers. Michael Joseph Rees, City, armourer, engineers. Sydney Kenny, City, storeman, infantry. George Martin, City, ironmonger, infantry. Fred. Percy Cunningham, City, shepherd, infantry. '■ OFF TO CAMP. The following men went into camp yesterday to help make up the shortage ill the Fourteenth Reinforcements:— G. H. Crabtree, permanent pay clerk; J. E. G. Furness, artificer ; H. J. Jones, J. M'Govers, J. Swindale, H. Coventry, W. E. Baliinger, F. P. Cunningham, M'Arthur, I'. Bond, G. MTJregor, all infantry.- > There js still a- shortage of 44 in the Wellington section of the infantry of the Fourteenth Reinforcements. i mslndnotes A telegram .was sent by the Prime Minister yesterday to Mr. C. Mackay, Mayor of Wanganui, who has enlisted, as follows"Permit me.to congratu-late-you on your expressed intention to join one of tho New Zealand Reinforcements for service at the front. Your action as a public man will have not only a good effect throughout the Dominion, but is a further proof that New Zoalanders are determined to do their full share iii the war in which the Empire is engaged, and that no' sacrifice is too great to maintain the honour of Britain, and assist in bringing about a viotory which we all desire, and which must come before there is a slackening off in our united efforts.—W. F. Massey." - ■ ■ There, has been a decided falling-off in the number of recruits registered in the Wairarapa area this week, notwithstanding that the new recruiting scheme has been brought, into operation. Ngamoko settlement, near Dannevirke, has established a worthy war record as, by the end of March, it will have dispatched, at the country's call, all its eligible young men to take up arms for King and country. While he was in Auckland the Defence Minister was asked by the Mayor of that city (Mr. J. H. Gunson) to allow the Eleventh Reinforcements to parade in Auckland, and to embark there for tho front, the object being to encourage rccruiting. "I told the Auckland people quito plainly," said Mr. Allen yesterday, on his return to Wellington, "tilt* it was quito impossible to arrange for tho Eleventh to leave from there. X also told them that I was afraid il would be impossible to allow subsequent reinforcements to go to Auckland, he.causo this would involve loss of time •for the ships, and -ft was now imperative that the transports should sail according to the time-tables arranged." A batch of recruits from Otago, num- ' bering 270, arrived by tho Maori yesterday morning, en route to Trentham. The Natives' Association gave a concert at the Victoria Hospital on Thursday night under the direction of Mr. Culford 8011. The performers included: Mrs. Fogerty, Miss Griffiths, Messrs. Laslett Exton, Kevin Dillon, and Ben O'Brien, Miss Henderson acted aa accompanist. Rowland. Jeweller, 90 Manners Street, is the firm who are giving 15 per cent. (3s. in tlie £) to soldiers or their friends when purchasing anything for them: Badges, wristlet watches, engagement rings, etc. See Rowland about it.—A<lvt.