THE CALL FOR MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2760, 2 May 1916, Page 6

THE CALL FOR MEN

SIXTEENTHS PARADE SHORT FIFTEENTHS QUOTA NOT MADE UP When tho local quota for t'he Sixteenth Reinforcements paraded for dental inspection at the Drill Hall, Buckle Street, yesterday morning, they were Si short. Tho authorities had called up 172 men, and only 106 paraded. 'jL'liis was anticipated to a certain extent on account of a large number of mfen having neglected to reply to a circular letter asking them to parado yesterday morning. It is hoped, however, that the men who failed to attend yesterday's parado will turn up this morning at S o'clock, when the draft i a to procced to Trentham Camp.

In addition to tho Sixteenth Reinforcements the Wellington City and Suburbs Group has, according to tho Defence authorities, a .serious shortage to make up for the Fifteenth Reinforcements. Ttiis draft has been in camp lor four weeks, and still it is ten short of its complement, as far as Wellington City's quota is concerned. Again, No. 5 Croup has been asked to find 32 men to make up other Wellington district shortages in the same draft. This brings the Wellington shortages for t'he Fifteenths up to 42, and not one of these men turned up at the Drill Hall yesterday morning. Adding this 42 to the 67 (the. number which the Sixteenth. Reinforcements are short) makes 109 men which have to be found by this morning if tho Wellington quota is to be sent into camp up to strength, as required by the military authorities. It is a very tall order, but ithose in authority are confident that the number will be considerably reduced as far as the Sixteenths are concerned. Onco again it is impressed upon those men who wish to go into camp at pnee, that they should present themselves at the Drill Hall, Buckle Street, as early as possible this morning,, and if they are medically lit they will be taken into camp with the other men comprising tho Sixteenth draft. It might so happen that there are 6ome men who have registered for other branches of the service, and also men who have enlisted for future infantry Reinforcements,'who are desirous of going into camp at once. If these men will parade at Buckle Street at 8 a.m. to-da,y t'he Defence authorities state that their services will be accepted and they will go into camp this morn-

Dp to the present'tho authorities conaider that Wellington City anil Suburbs lias dono i'airl.v well in the matter of obtaining recruits, especially seeing that this district has been called upon to make up shortages for other districts in the "Wellington Military District, but No. 5 Group could and should, tho Defence officers think, do "better. There aro 13,01)0 men of military age in tho Wellington Military District who are eligible for military service, and as only 180 aro wanted every four weeks, Hie authorities hold'the opinion that there should not bo any shortages up to the present. Latest Rocruits. Nineteen recruits registered their Hume* nt the Heiidqiuii'tM'a RewiiltlHu Office oi No. 5 Group yesterday, .Out

of that number 13 were passed as medically lit, four as unfit and two as temporarily unfit. Following are the names of the fit men who registered yosterday;— Joseph M'K.iunon, seaman, City (Infantry). 11. H.. Curtis, salesman, City (Infantry). W. Galbraith, storekeeper, Woodville (Infantry). Charles Hayes, seaman, City (Infantry). G. W. J. Taucred, slaughterman, Petone (Infantry). Ernest Hastie, storoman, Petone (Infantry). Frank Edkins, settler, Island Bay (Infantry). J. J. Brady, fitter's labourer, Paekakariki (Infantry). P. D. H. Hutchinson, railway employee, Paekakarilci (Infantry). It. It. Kells, pamter, Kilbirnie (Infantry). A. J. 0. Hanson, station hand, Martin borough (Infantry). P. P. Gibson, second officer s.s. Stormbird, City (Infantry). Albert Crocker, bootmaker, City (Infantry).

STATEMENT FROM THE BOARD

"A MARKED IMPROVEMENT."

The following statement on the'working of the Government recruiting scheme was made yesterday by the Prime Minister, chairman of the Recruiting Board:— The enlistments for the Infantry for the 16th Reinforcements, due to go into camp this week, have been very satisfactory on the whole, aud absolutely so in those districts where the board's scheme has been in operation, or, as ,in the case of Auckland, where a. live campaign has been conducted. The Auckland and Otago districts have enlisted more men than their quota, Canterbury is only 90 men short, and this mainly owing to the shortage in Group No. 9, with headquarters at Christchurch City, while the Wellington district has reduced its shortage to 142. The total shortage for the Dominion tot the 16th Reinforcements is 172, as compared with the shortage of 643 for tho 15th Reinforcements at the corresponding date last month. It will thus he seen that the operation of the new recruiting scheme has effected.a marked improvement. Tho following table shows the position of enlistments for tlte 16th Reinforcements in the several group ureas as on Saturday last, April . 29:—

Auckland Military District. Group 1, Auckland City, surplus 153 j Group 2, Paeroa, shortage, 27; Group 3, Whangarei, shortage 23; Group 4, Hamilton, shortage 53. Total Auckland Military District, surplus 50. Wellington Military District, kroup 5, Wellington City, shortage BG, Group 6, Palmerston North, shortage, 17; Group 7, Napier, shortage 65: Group 7a, Masterton, shortage 23: Group 8, Hawera, shortage 1. Total Wellington District shortage, 142. Canterbury Military District. Group 9, Christchurch City, shortage 72; Group 10, Timani, surplus 11: Group 11, Kaiapoi, shortage 3; Group 11a, Greymouth, shortage 29; Group 12 Nelson, surplus 3. Total Canterbury District shortage; 90, Otago'Military District. Group 13, Dunedin City, surplus 45; Group 14, Invercargill, shortage 15: , ,™ u - I ' r ., le ' oamani J shortage 11; Group 16, Milton, shortage 9. Total ' Ota™ District surplus, 10.

IMPORTANT DECISIONS. SEPARATION ALLOWANCES AND BADGES. Inportant decision? wore made by the Recruiting Board regarding separation allowances and badges. It lias been decided that tho separation allowance shall be payable not only to the wite oi a soldier, but als<> to the widowed mother wno is wholly! dependent oil an unmarried son who enlists. It lias also been decided to increaso the number oi children of-a soldier in respect of whom the allowance of tid'. per day may be paid from 4 to 5.

Following is the official statement handed to the Press of the proceedings at the meeting of the Board:— Hie Itosruiting Board at its meeting yesterday decided:— ° To recommend that the separation allowance of Is. per day with respect to tho wives and the guardians of the children of men who enlist shall bo paid to the widowed mothers who are solely dependent on singlo men who enlist. To recommend that the number of children under 16 years of age of men who enlist with respect to whom an allowance of 3r. 6d. per week is now paid shall be increased to 5; at present the limit is 4.

That tho number of arm badges be reduced to two, viz., a khaki band with red crown for all men who enlist, whether accepted, rejected, or exempted; and a scarlet badge with yellow c<w\n for men honourably discharged from tho Expeditionary Forces. The board decided to withdraw the special badges for men who have been rejected, or men who luvo been exempted owing to the many representations that have been made from all parts of the Dominion, urging that one badge only should be adopted for issue to men who have offered themselves for service in the Expeditionary Force.

RECRUITING IN DUNEDIN. By Telegraph—Press Association. • DunetHn, May 1. The city recruiting campaign, which opened on March 21, has finished and' tho committee disbanded to-day. The city was divided into nineteen blocks, each block being in charge of a sectional committee which invited the men to attend at the rooms aud fill in cards. The results show that 85 per cent, acceded to this request, only 20 per cent, had to be personally canvassed at their houses, and 5 per cent, wore not accounted for! Throughout the campaign recruiting has been brisk, an average of 42 men coming in for medical examination nightly. Tho position in Dunedin regarding recruiting is good, but the llivor (Mr. Clark) points out that the country districts are leaning heavily on the city, as Dunedin has never yet been actually short in its quota. A VETERAN'S SERVICES ACCEPTED. Nelson, May 1. Nelson's complete draft of sixty men for the 16ths will leave to-morrow. The lists arc well tilled up to, and including, the 20th Eeinl'orcemonts. Spealsing in Nelson recently on its past achievements, tho Minister of Defence congratulated the district on its response. Mr. Robert Allan, a well-known leading business man, who recently retired,, although over the age limit, offered his services in any capacity, and said lie did not want pay; in fact, he would pay his own expenses. Mr. Allan, who lists done much exploration work in Borneo awl the South Seas, ha& been notified that his services have been accepted.