THE RECRUITING BRANCH

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 121, 15 February 1919, Page 8

THE RECRUITING BRANCH

'BIG WORK NEARLY COMPLETED.. The recruiting branch of the Defence Department is expected to complete its work next month, and will then be closed down. The Director of Recruiting, Captain. D. C. W. ; Cossgrove, New.Zealand Permanent Staff, : wilt leave the service when the work'of his branch has been brought to a close... <>

The recruiting branch, which came into existence alter tho passing 'of the Military Servico Act, started in- a small way at Defence Headquarters. Captain Cossgrove had to create the necessary system and organisation as ; ho , went along, and ovolvo much of the administrative detail required to make the new recruiting system effective. The branch grew very rapidly, and after moving to the Buckle Street Barracks and then to premises on Lambton Quay, it occupied its present quarters near Courtenay Place. Its staff was eventually counted in hundreds.

At present the branch is engaged completing its records and bringing; files together. Ultimately every man handled under the Military Service Act will be represented by a single file, containing his complete military history. The extent to which ,the branch will classify and tabulate the invaluable information contained in its records does>uot appear to have been .determined, yet..—The Dominion • has drawn • attention already to the fact, that .the statistics contained in the recruiting records'throw light .upon most important facts connected with tho health of the community. Tho ■information they contain ought to be extracted fully y some, branch of the Defence Department before the records'airs closed and tho skilled staffs dispersed.