TO WIN THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2865, 1 September 1916, Page 7

TO WIN THE WAR

MEETING OF MAYORS VOLUNTARY RECRUITING TO BE FOSTERED Tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) presided at a meeting of the City Council, and heads of adjacent local bodies, which met in the Council Chamber yesterday afternoon, to lend their united aid to assist tho Government in obtaining voluntary recruits,- or, iii tliealternative, doing all in their power .o back the Government in its administration of the Military Sorvieo Act. There were present: Capt. Barclay (chief recruiting officer), Messrs. H. Baldwin (H'utt Borough Council), M. W. Welch (Rutt County ■ Council), C; C. Crump (Ohslow Borough Council), B. G. H. Burn, Cooper, and A. Hamilton, (Karori Borough Council), .Rcy.. Mr. Petrio (Johnsonvillo Town Board), J. P. Kellv and Russell (Eastbourne Borough Council), W. H. P. Barber, R. A. Wright, A. R. Atkinson, L'. M'Kcnzio (Wellington City Council), S. Underwood (Miraniar Boioii«;li Council), W. Pergusoiij It. Shirtclilte, H. E. Nicholls, A. Hale Munro, C. M. Luke, a.nd other interested people. ' Tho Mayor said he had called the meeting at tho instance of tho Primo Ministetr, with the object of assisting tho Government with its recruiting. In personal opinion it was their solemn duty to fulfil their obligations, and it was their duty to indicate to tho people ot New Zealand that it was to their interest to seo that they carried out to the full thq. obligations they had entered into. . .Ho . thought . that by doing so they would bo able to secure better, terms when tho time came for terms ' to bo that would bo favourable not only to the people of tho present time, but to tho people of all time. 'They wire mot to carry out, as far as they wero ablo, tho propaganda of the Government in regard to recruiting in continuing their efforts to oncouraging recruiting on the voluntary system, but if the.v found they could not "fill the panel" that way, tlio Military Servico Act would be put into operation, and they wero asked to help in that regard as well. Ho moved: "That this meeting;of roprosen- - tatives of- tho Wellington City Council, adjaecnt local authorities, and War League, pledge itself to do all in its power to continue tho encouragement of voluntary recruiting j and further, to extend its offorbs to carry out the provisions of tho Military Service Act, 1910."

A Tribute. \ j, In mbving his resolution the chairman expressed great appreciation of the work Captain Barclay and liis assistants had done at tho Town Hall Rooruiting Office. Tho reoruiting system followed thore had not cost tho Govern, mont one farthing. There had been placards printed, and a room had been provided by tho City Council, and day after day those gentlemen had given service, which was' loyally' renderixl in the interests of the people and the Empire, work tlicy were all prepared to do to help forward tho completion of the war in which thoy woro engaged. In seconding tho motion Captain Barclay said that to give an idea of how the recruiting system was ing as far as they were concornetl, 4432 men had been enrolled during the ten months the office had been, in existence, an avorago of 440 per month. They had hoped to make it 500 a month, but had failed owing to tho tremendous fluctuations which had occurred.

Mr. J. P. Kelly was in thorough accord with tho resolution. Ho believed that there was only ono eligible man in this district who had not dono his duty. Mr. B. (J. H. Burn also said that he was afraid that there were hardly any eligible men left in the borough of Karori. Councillor M'Kcnzie wanted to know what the Mayor wanted them to do— what was behind his mind? It was not a time to hold meetings and carry resolutions. Mr. C. C. Crump (Onslow) said they had practically canvassed the wholo district, and there woro hardly any eligible men left. all wished to assist the Dcfenco Department in enrolling men who wore not.enrolled. No scheme was any good unless they hacl a perfect roll, and the question to his mind was: Could they devise any schemo that would secure those men ■who were not on tho roll at any time? They would have a hard task iu Wellington, whic hliad a largo community, but it would not lie so diflicult in tho smaller boroughs. Ho thought that they ought to put on peoplo who would canvass tho town from end to end. The resolution was carried. Tho chairman moved that tho meeting approvo of helping tho voluntary recruiting movement in active campaign work by means of public meetings. This was seconded by Councillor Atkinson, and carried.