THE CALL FOR MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2720, 15 March 1916, Page 6

THE CALL FOR MEN

RUNANGA "PATRIOTS"

UNWORTHY RESOLUTIONS • ANSWERED

A DOUCHE OP COLD COMMON SENSE.. ; A few days ago the Prime Minister received from tho Town Clerk ,of Runanga* a letter covering the following resolution carried at "q public meeting convened by His Worship the Mayor" to consider the Government's proposals for recruiting:—

. "(1) That this meeting of citizens of Runanga have nothing to do with the recruiting scheme, as the Government only want to push responsibilities off their own shoulders on to the local bodies."

"(2) That this meeting representing the ('residents of Runanga urge upon the Government the importance'of recommending to the Homo Government the advisability of stating clearly the peace terms, and of • opening negotiations with the Central Powers with a view of 'arriving at an early cessation of hostilities."

In reply, the Prime Jlinister has dispatched . the. following letter "to the Mayor of Runanga:—

PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY

"I hav© received the letters written by your Town Clerk -on tho Ist and 6_th instant/ forwarding copies of resolutions that have been passed by the Borough Council and citizens of Runanga with respect to the new recruiting scheme.

"I must cohfess I' find it difficult to believe;that'"any body of patriotic citizens 'could,, refuse, the appeal that has been made ; to them for help in a gre&t national I'lWork- becauso of the plea that the Government ,only wants to-push its responsibilities oil' to the shoulders: of local /bodies;.-" ■'i'oiir.. citizens must be aware: that . ive, 1 in common with the rest of,' the: Empire, arc engaged in a struggle on which our vory existence as a free nation depends.' It must therel- - be obvious .to-thom that'(any task that. so. vitally concerns the -nation in its- hour of .trial is , as much the concern of every local'body and of every, citizen, of the Dominion as it is of the or Recruiting Board, betcausa all'"will suffer, or benefit equally according to the-'failure or success of our efforts in this world struggle. "I would, point out to you that a .somewhat siniilar scheme of recruiting has- recently been given the most exhaustive trial in Great Britain, and, so far as the Recrjiiting Board is aware, in,not, one single instance did the local bodies of the. Mother Country refuse the help and co-operation that ' were asked of them by the Imperial Government. On the oontrary, the fullest measure of assistance was readily given, and the National Government of' New Zealand is confident 1 that, with very few exceptions, the locaJ bodies of this Dominion will be just as. ready and willing to help in the work here. . "As to theirt>econd resolution, recommending, that peace negotiations should be opened yith the Central Powers: "I wish to say must emphatically ... that the National Government and '

the overwhelniiug majority of the oitizens of this Dominion are at one in their fixed determination to see this light through to a' victorious finish—to see this ' fight through until the menace of Prussian militarism and domination and all the 'evils they imply is forever ended; until we are in a position, not to negotiate, but to dictate terms of peace to cm enemy that has shown itself lost to all sense of decency, humanity, and honourable obligation - ■ '

(Signed) • W. F. MASSEY, "Chairman-of Becruiting Board."

LOCAL ENLISTMENTS

The following men have been enrolled in Wellington as fit for active service:— Oswald James Murphy, farmer, Pahautanui (Mounted).- " Peter Francis Scollard, engine-driver, City (Mounted). .

' John Geo. Humphrey,' ' ironmonger, City (Infantry): .

Henry Hammond, painter, City (Infantry). '

Wm. Caunt, motorman, City (Infantry).

Thos. John Thompson, driver, City (Infantry). Ted-Levy,-munition worker, City (Infantry).'. T. Quin, Civil Servant, City (Infantry). . Edward James Moroney, railway fireman, Paek'akariki (Infantry). Richard A. Millford, driver, City (Infantry). Maurice W. Prendeville, farmer, Karori (Infantry). • Victor E. Sconllar, motor driver, City (Infantry).; - -, •i&ed'.. Smith, seaman, City (Infantry). James; Bryson, ; labourer, City (Infantry): •, .. _ /■ The-following men from the city vere 1 -sent-to camp-yesterday:— -J.,Kendall, baker, A.S.C., Home Service.; Benjamin Smith, Infantry, lfth Romforcements; J. J. M'Guire, permanent''dental orderly. A GOOD WEEK

i ■ Indirect evidence that 1 the nightly recruitingmeetinas are having appreciable. effect on the number of enlistments, is forthcoming in the recruiting return for the Town Hall Office tor the week .which 1 closed on Saturday laet. Purin'g .that week no fewer than 117 fhen enlisted, and of that number only 19 were rejected fcs medieallj wifit,. laaving 98 "good men and true" to. go into' camp when called upon, DEFENCE MINISTER .ON TOUR : A STRENUOUS PROGRAMME.The Hon". J. Allen sets out this evening on a very busy recruiting tour ol the _ West Coast. He will leave for Christchurcli to-night, go on to Greyntouth tomorrow, to hold a meeting there that evening, lio will go to Hokifcika on Friday, and will also be present at a meeting there on Friday evening. On Saturday morning he will go to Ross, and will make a short stop there, coming back to Reefton on Saturday night to attend a" meeting there. On Sunday lis will go on to Nelson, and will,' attend a- meeting at Nelson on Monday night. He will bo back in Wellington on Tuesday. lii reply to a question yesterday, regarding the success of the new recruiting system, tho Dofence Minister (the Hon. James Allen) said that as far as could_ be judged at present, the scheme was : being taken up enthusiastically throughout almost tho whole,of the Dominion. Local bodies and other institutions which had been called upon to help had patriotically put aside their own opinions and feelings where they wero contrary to the wish of the authorities, and were perfecting the machinery for getting recruits. There was a good possibility of the scheme providing the men if it wa,s faithfully and energetically carried through.

LOCAL BODIES AND RECRUITING SCHEME "■ 'A CENSUS OF OPINION. When the Government agreed upon '. SSSIfeS jMfe .jW> flfiU

being developed/' circulars were sent by the Recruiting Board to 318 local bodies. To those circulars 202 replies have been received, and the following summary shoivs generally the nature of those replies Have Agreed to Co-oporate ana Help.—Boroughs, SO; Comities, 69; Town Boards, 31. Total, ISO. . Willing to Help, but Prefer Compulsion.—Boroughs, 3; Counties, 8; Town Boards, 4. Total, 15. No Action.—Boroughs, 2; Counties, 1. Total, 3.

Refused to Help.—Boroughs, 1; Counties, ] ; Town Boards, 2. Total, 4.

WHERE ARE THE ARM-BADGES?

"We know nothing at all about the badges here," said Ciipt. Barclay yesterday, in reply to an inquiry from a young fellow -who had enlisted at tho Town Hall Recruiting Office. The gentlemen m attendance said that the men who had .enlisted at the Town Hall naturally went back there for badges, but though repeated efforts had .been made to get a supply for "fits" and "unfits" put through at tho Town Hall, no response could lje obtained from the Defence authorities. -Tho badges, it was stated, are being distributed at Christchurch ■ and Auckland, apd -were obtainable somewhere in town, but they at the Town Hall knew no more'than that. They simply could get no answer to their inquiries on, the subject from the Defence Department. THE BOOM IN AUCKLAND ONE HUNDRED IN TWO DAYS, i By TelesraDj 1 — ' . Auokiand, March 13. The recruiting boonf"continues. Yesterday, ninety-one, men 1 volunteered— ; thirty-threo being accepted and thirtylive deferred (the majority of the latter for defective teeth).' The returns for to-day show_ that. another sixtythree men ' registered, twenty-seveni being .accepted > and twenty deferred. Thus, about 100 men will be obtained from the registration here during the two days. ' WEWS AND NQTEi There was' some 'discussion at the Hutt County Council yesterday regarding the idea of a personal canvass. The chairman (Mr. M. Welch) said he bad his hands full just now in attending recruiting meetings, and he was anxious and willing to do all he could | to assist rccruiting. 1 However,- he was not in favour of a personal canvass, which would lay h'im open to insults. Other councillors agreed with their chairman. Councillor Howell moved that each councillor should take a thorough stock-taking of his own particular riding, but the motion lapsed for want of a seconder. No action was taken.

Recruiting for the- 14th Reinforce* ments ,is proceeding steadily. It is understood that r the draft went into camp short by over 200 infantry. An attempt is being made to wipe out tho deficiency by Friday next, ■ and it is reckoned that there is a good chance of doing so, except, perhaps, as re. gards Otago. Wellington City is sending : more men to camp on Friday. It still needs infantry. The new recruiting scheme was 1 mentioned at yesterday's meeting of tho Hutt County Council. Councillor Howell moved that the councillors should pledge themselves to , fully can. Vass their ridings, but the motion lapsed for want of a seconder. This does not affect the council's attitude to the whole scheme, winch the council previously resolved to support.

The Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Massey), as chairman of 'the Recruiting Board, has written to the Karori Borough Council, thanking that; body tor its promise to assist tho now tbciuiting scheme in every possible way. ''The board i& Yerj gratified," wrote Mr- Massey, "at the ready response, which has been made to Its appeal for help in this great work, ami it is confident that, given the active and sympathetic co-operation of local bodies and oitizens generally there will be no difficulty in providing all the,men necessary to.fulfil our obligations without any resort to compulsion.*' '

"It is extraordinary," says Captain Barclay, of the Town Hall Recruiting Office, "that no definite ruling can bo obtained from the. Minister of Defence on the question of a man's fitness for active service when he is only deficient of the .loft eye. The argument that a man so deficient, or with a substitute glass eye, cannot slioot is .easily met by the fact that lie is instructed to close his left eyo when aiming with the rifle. Therefore accident or other technicil bar simplifies the required training. Numerous good men, physically fit, are being rejected for this alleged defect. Surely there is hoed for a definite ruling on the matter." The recruiting meeting which was to have been held at Newtown last evening lapsed through lack of an audience.

It has been decided by the Minister of Education that teacher's who enlist in the Expeditionary Forces, and begin their training during the holiday period, shall receive the whole of their holiday pay in addition to any payments made by the Defence Department. Owing to the St. Patrick's Day celebrations on Friday next, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) has decided to postpone the "big recruiting , entertainment to be held in the Town Hall until one evening next week. On that occasion the music played throughout England in connection -with Lord Derby's big campaign will be .-played by the Tramways Band, and other musical and vocal items will be programmed for the occasion. - TO-NIGHT'S MEETING. The speakers at Wadestown to-mor-row evening will be Messrs. J. H. Helli-. well/F. W. Manton, A. de B. Brandon, and R. R. Martin, jun.