EXTRA WORK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2884, 23 September 1916, Page 2

EXTRA WORK

CAUSED BY SHORTAGE IN TWENTY-FIRSTS

DISADVANTAGES OF LATE-COMERS

Owing to the shortages which hav<3 occurred in the drafts of recruitsfroifl practically all parts of-the Dominion, the mobilisation of tho Twenty-first Re-* inforcements will continue until clay. Usually the work is completed and the new force a full working draft! by Friday, except for a few odd lots! of late-comers who arrive later on. , Such a shortago as has taken place iri the Twenty-firsts causes a good deal o2 extra work for tho camp staffs, and! for the O.C.'s and other officers and! N.C.O.'s.of the new draft._ Every inaffi who arrives after mobilisation, has finished has to be fitted in; his nama must be squeezed in on the company) roll in its alphabetical order, and, in-> stead of being shown round the campl and instructed in camp routine along with a hundred or so of others, ho haa to be instructed individually, .which' takes up time that can ill be spared, ory as is "often the case, he has to find! things out for himself. Another way in which!, the late ar-i rival of men causes inconvenience is in connection with the making up oB platoons in a new company. If an O.C; company finds he has 120 men instead! of 200, he divide* the force into platoons of 30 each. Should three late-" comers be assigned to him, or seven! or nine or other number not divisible by four, he has to apportion them . unequally to.. the, various platoons. These matters appear as trifles fo the) civilian, but in the rush of work at-< tending the bringing in and'training '. a now draft of soldiers, they are pin- • pricks to the training staffs which are) ' extremely irritating. There has been a good deal of 6peciu lation in,the camps as to tho cause <J6 ; the serious'. shortage in the Twenty--firsts, especially as the stamp of men; is' considered to be well above tho ■ average. The Canterbury men, in par-J . ticular, are a big lot, and of a goodi steady type. Otago's contribution is . also.hold to be.an excellent,ono as ■ regards quality, while Wellington and! ■ Auckland, to mention the others of ilia : four centres, are useful-looking recruits,; ■ not so big and muscular, considered-as( " drafts, as. the x southern men, butt • nevertheless good men. ■ Whether thel "... shortages will be made'up at o'os're- - mains to be seen.. The N.C.O.'i the] i! Tivcnty-third and Twenty-fourth .einJ ! forcements, whose men will gc. into) ! camp in November and December, ara' beginning to wonder whether the whole! ■ of their drafts will he enlisted men or! [ whether they will have a sprinkling.ofi '. compulsory service men. anion;; them.