RECRUITING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2913, 27 October 1916, Page 6

RECRUITING

THE PRESENT POSITION

PREPARATIONS FOR COMPULSION

Preparations for the operation 'of the Military Service Act have now reached ft stage when a date may be fixed for the taking of tho first ballot among tho members of the First Division. It is probablo that the Recruiting Board will issue a statement in the near future covering tho present position, and indicating the stops that are to be taken during the next few weeks. The facts will be mado quite clear to the public, and tho men who wish to make sure of getting into camp as volunteers will know what time is left them. The shortage in the Twenty-second Reinforcements, representing the accumulated shortages of the last three months, was stated yesterday to stand at 879 men. The mobilisation of the Twenty-third Reinforcements will begin on November 13, and 1 the number of men required then, allowing for some further reduction of lihe present shortago next week, seems likely to be in the neighbourhood of 2600. The attested men already in hand, plus the 600 men expected to be* secured under the "family shirker" clause, amount to something like 1600, leaving an apparent deficiency of 1000 men. The Recruiting Board, therefore, will want about 1000 additional volunteers for the Twenty-third Reinforcements, in order that tho draft may go into camp at full strength and all shortages mav bo extinguished. A vigorous effort will bo made to secure these men, and probably special attention will bo given to the men who have registered already

hut liave failed to submit themselves for medical examination or to answer a mobilisation call. The names of very many hundreds of such, men are on the hooks of the Department, and it_ is hoped that a little persuasion will bring a lot of them into camp.

The date of the first ballot has vet to he .fixed, but it is expectcd that the roll of the members of the First Division of the Expeditionary Force Reserve will be readv for nse by the middle of next month. A ballot _may bo taken then to o.ovor any remaining shortage and provide men who mav bo required for the Twenty-fourth Rein-

forcements in December. The coming of conscription will make it difficult for

the Defenco Department to continue taking; voluntary recruits for a lar draft right up to the day./of mobil-

isation, as is done under present conditions. Probably the lists will have to be closed some weeks in advance,

in order that the number of conscripts required may be ascertained, the ballot taken, and time allowed for the delivery of notices and the hearing of appeals. 1 THE OCTOBER DRAFT. ■ SHORTAGE REDUCED, The. supplementary drafts for the Twenty-second- Reinforcements sent into camp on Wednesday totalled 106 men, 98 from the "Wellington District; 6 from Auckland, and 1 . each from Canterbury and> Otago. The districts had been informed previously that men would bo taken on Wednesday next, November 2, and they appear, except in the case of Wellington, to have reserved their efforts ilntil that date. The shortage of mon has been reduoed now to 879.

All the recruiting offices are now taking men .for tilie supplementary drafts that will enter camp next week. The recruit who comes forward at once will be assisting tho Defence authorities materially by helping to tide over the interval before the first batch of conscripts reach camp, and ho will at the same time bo beginning liis training at tho very best time. Ho will bo ill training during tho summer months, he will get his long leave at Christmas, and he will reach England with _ his draft in tho spring, thus avoiding tho English winter. APPEAL FOR VOLUNTARY ENLISTMENTS. FOR THE TWENTY-THIRD REINFORCEMENTS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedln, October 26. Tho Minister of Defonce (Hon. J. Allen) says it now appears cortiiu that it will be impossible to bring tho Military Service Act into oporation in time for raising the Twenty-third Reinforcements. Therefore, ho calls upon the rccniiting organisations and tho public to do overythina possible in tho way of assisting tho authorities to avoid a serious shortage.