THE CALL FOR MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2867, 4 September 1916, Page 9

THE CALL FOR MEN

'PROGRESS' OF RECRUITING. Reports 1 from various parts of the country show that there "has hoen a slight improvement in recruiting duriug tho last few days, but the figures could not 'bo regarded as satisfactory wen now were it not for the fact that the Government will soon be in a position to tako tho men who fail to volunteer. The present rate of recruiting Is not sufficient to completo Reinforcethents'and maintain the Reserve, when ollowanco has been made for the usual percentage of registered men who fail to «nter camp when called upon to make good their offers of service. An increased proportion of rejections on medical grounds is a feature of many recruiting-returns. Apparently, many men who can have no anticipation at nil of being acoepted foT service are placing themselves "on side" by qualifying for the volunteer's, khaki armlet.

The Defence Department, it is understood, will shortly amend the voluntary recruiting, system by providing for tlio' attesting of men when they are originally accepted for service. Under present arrangements a man is not attested, until lie gets into camp, and the authorities have no hold at all over tho man who registers, is passed as fit, and then fails to appear on the day of mobilisation. The number of these nien is surprisingly large, and recruiting and organisations throughout New Zealand have protested that the present loose system is abused. The practice in the United Kingdom throughout the war has been to attest a volunteer at the time of his enlistment, and hand him a day's pay ( thus bringing'him definitely under military authority.

v The Recruiting Board is pressing upon the attention of recruiting, committees the necessity for special efforts to provide the men required during the next few.weeks, while tho Defence Department is still entirely dependent upon voluntary enlistment. The use of the powers of conscription given the Government under • the Military Service' Act may not bo necessary immediately the machinery of the Act is ready in Ootober, except in tho case of tho families , covered by clause 35. A list of families which have contributed, no son's to the Forces is growing in length, and will be used as soon as possible. But. in any case an effort is required to secure a full draft of recruits for the Twenty-first Reinforcements at the latter end of the present month, and also to cover tho shortage in recruits for the Twentieth Reinforcoments.