RECORD RECRUITING MEETING

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2747, 15 April 1916, Page 6

RECORD RECRUITING MEETING

EIGHT MEN VOLUNTEER

VIEWS OF THE SPEAKERS

A crowd of about 350 peoplo attended ft recruiting meeting held at the corner .of Boulcott and "Willis Street last even-

ing, when Dr. Nowuian; M.P., Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., and Quart-ermaster-Sorgeant Dent and Mr. R. R. Martin, returned soldiers, spoke. As a result of the appeal for recruits eight moil came forward and offered i their services. Their names are as follow:—C. C. Conway, V. Rodgers, J. Aitken, J. Turner, N. Norgate, H. Smith, — Wilson, and another. • The response to the call, Dr. Newman said, was a record. In addition to the above one man offered his services if Quartermaster-Sergt. Dent would undertake to interview 'the captain of the ship on which he was employed. Two men over the age also volunteered, one of them being nearer 70 than 45 years. The other gave in his name as being williug to do garrison duty at Samoa.' During the whole of the proceedings the crowd gave the various speakers a very attentive hearing, and their remarks were applauded. Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., was the first speaker.' After stressing the point tna-t more recruits were wanted, and wanted badly, he said that if the next two Reinforcements were not filled up there was only one of two things to be-done. We had either to admit to the Imperial authorities that we could not carry out our promise for voluntary recruits or else adopt some form of conscription." Germany would fight to a finish in this 'War, and it was a case of that nation finishing us or we finishing them. We had the men to do the job if they would only come forward and enlist. It was ; the duty of the single men to see that the married men should not go first. There- were hundreds of eligible singlp men who could and should go, but they

would not realise their responsibilities. It was for the purpose of trying to 'point out to tlieni the'seriousness of the position that recruiting meetings were being, held.- Mr.' Wright said-that ho agreed'with those who wero against fighting, but this caso' was an entirely different one. It was a' caso of saving this fair country of New, Zealand, and. although he did not: like jabbing a man with a bayonet,

yet it must be done to save our Empire. ' If.'the Germans'won this war; New Zealand , would undoubtedly- become a German possession, and,to. save that from, happening every eligible man must go and light. Mr. It. R. Martin, a returned soldier, said that every single man who is medically, fit should enlist. If he did not do so then he should be deprived of his civil, as well as his other rights of citizenship. He paid a high tribute to the women of this country, whom, he said, by their self-sacrifices, were putting the men who should go and won't to shame. At present, although they must realise that our quotas for the Fifteenth Reinforcements are short, and men are wanted badly, eligible young men did not seem to give the great question of., enlisting, a thought.. They still attended the picture shows and played billiards during tho day, and went about life just as if nothing was happening. The speaker also referred to the fact that two Reinforcements would be called up before Parliament met to consider conscription, and he held the opinion that one volunteer was worth three conscript men every time. "It will be to the single man's undying shame,"' concluded-Mr.'.Martin, "if ho does not voluntarily enlist before conscription is carried." The nest speaker was QuartermasterSergeant Dent,' whom Dr. Newman said had received seven wounds on Gallipoli, _ and on account of the holes made in Ms body his pals had christened him "The Pepper Box." Quarterniaster-Sergt. Dent said it was a pity that such, a meeting should have to be held, seeing that there were so many eligible men in New Zealand. On' account of the men coming along so slowly, however, it was necessary that such a course should be adopted. He, too, held the opinion that the. men of -this country did not realise their responsibilities. _ At previous recruiting meetings he did not entertain the idea of'conscription/but lately that opinion had been changed. And that change had only been brought about on account of the poor response to the call for more men. He went on to describe the welcome given to the boys of the Reinforcements by their comrades when they entered the firing-line, and then made the contrast of the welcome which undoubtedly would be given to the conscript soldiers. The latter would not be recognised, and probably they would be placed away by themselves to hold a flank, arid each and every man of them would he branded a "dirty dog." There were dodgers nnd shirkers in our midst. Of that lie was certain, and that class of man • must b6 made to realise his responsibility, in this war. Recruiting meetings were not held for the purpose of getting at the man who should go, hut to appeal to those present to use their influence to induce tho shirker to enlist. Dr. Newman, M.P., explained that wo had promised to send 32-50 s men away, on an average, every two months, and for the past twenty months we have kept our obligations, and now wo were running short. Thoro were 13,000 men:of military age in the Wellington district,' and as our quota was only 180 every four weeks, surely we could keep our Reinforcements up to full strength and over, without much trouble. If the next two drafts were not filled when Parliament meets there . would be no alternative but conscription. He was always against conscription, but if the men would not come forward it must surely come.. The returned soldier, although willina, ■ should not have to go back again while there are eligible single men to take his ' place. Speaking of the men who have i married sihic war broke out, Dr. Newi man said that if tho chance came he would vote for the proposal that iwn who have married during tho war t should be classed as singlo men.