NEW ZEALAND’S FORGS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3992, 27 July 1915, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND’S FORGS.

AN appeal for INCREASED/ OUOTAS. COMPILATION OF -NATIONAL REGISTER URGED. interesting statement by THE MINISTER. CPIiE3S ASSOCIATION TW-MLiM.) WELLINGTON July 26. A deputation of UVllin-ton citiyens waited on thy Alinistei loi I> fence (Hon.. James Allen; t.us atte!" noon to urge the Government to ■ - pare a national raster ot t-sie ine ; elndblo for wrv;ce. ana to ask tie. Imperial authorities to accept, at ~r - ranjed intervals, double the number of men at present being sent, committee which drafted the resolutions for presentation, to the Jim.,t wjifi M-ssr,. 11. I ■ \o" G JSmith, Macintosh, and ft. A. Au • vin. Sir John Findlay was a,o pi - sent, ami made a strong appeal for -n mm-esi.se In the number ot men to b -

I Tlie Minister, in reply, said he was I vt-rv glad v* realise. the spirit that »»'. animated the members of the depu-a-tion in comhm to him and placing their views before him. H« tenet c.« t L ~f.opln ol Nc-tv Zealand as a Ldv wanted to do everything that lav "in their power to. assist the hmnire in the present crisis in ns «“•>*- cnee and the onlv <hltertnpe oi opinion that eould arise was with rpte'-i to the direction in wnieli tho Dominion’s ellort should be mao..-. , ■•1 should like., first oi all, to 1 with the question of a national negater.” said the .Minister. "I am «-n----tirelv in accord with tne idea, ano I ,ro. perhsms, fiirtber than some oi you V In mv opinion, a national register would be. oii comparatively ntxte value unless it covered not merely tn.non who are- fit for the firing lm>-, but the whole of the labor oj the country. (Hear, hear.) I have atised for a considerable time a national register must come sooner or later and I believe ynat oeiore u-r> Ion"- ’New Zealand wijl liave to compile* a. register that will induce »--.eiynodv capable or serving either S, ; L “ the" fighting forces or m connection v.ith the industries.. J. do not say tha. ■ the time has come yet. Aye. have been more fortunate than Britain ana. Aus- ■ t-ralia in connection witn recruiting, > and that is a fact that does cretin to ■ our people, but we have to rea.rse that : we cannot go on drawing upon, out people in the way we have been doing without reaching tne point v. here oi ganisation of the national resources will he necessary."' The Minister referred, in tins connection, to the medical service, and «a;d that he wanted the membei» oi the British Medical Association ana tne general public to realise tliat -ie wm not closing any door against ymdoctors. He invited every meaicai inan who could serve to join the - ew Zealand Arinv Medical Corps _ ant plat--- liimseli" at the disposal oi tiro authorities for service in xlio Dorn *ll- - or elsewhere as might be required. He did not ask for honorary service from any doctor tio va.s willing or able to give it. He-nad a.readv' used the services of the members "of the dental profession m eon- | nection with the troops, and he was trying to work out a scheme Jer utuisi"ng& their services more effectively than in the past. •1 think registration v.ai yer.v shortly have, to he adopted,” aetcea the Minister. "I iiave taken. up tUe attitude that it is not our uusiness eo make companions between want \>e have done in this country and v. .:.a other dominions have done, but I cannot admit that New Zealand nas fallen behind at any pointy 1 do not guarantee the accuracy of figures that are published m the i;*--wopapviv yi-h regard to the forces _.<H tne various dominions, but 1 will accept . »•••.•? stat-.nient that Australia has Si-lvd men abroad or in training at tlie pr os cut' t-i rn c. Ik n o vr, i rom ttc 3' - oral Minister oi Defence, _ t-nat ni" figures are approximately correct. Well New Zealand is head and shoulders above that. We have over 25.0U0 men at the Front or in training, ana Australia, on a population basis, ought to have 1*25,000 men at the Front nr m training to equal us. Ido not attach any value to tins comparison, but 1 cannot let the statement £•> forth to the miokc tr.at Ne*> Ze.ii.im. ; is not doing her share as compared with Australia.” •Sir .John Findlay: “AN hat about tim futun: f" 'Pnc* Minister: "1 am coming x«* that, ido not i.wg.d that Australia hast a navy. The Imp rid autiiorities laid- down a policy wnieit New Zealand has followed absolutely—more so than any other dominion of the umpire, more so even than the M other Country. Registration lias been a part or mir policy all along. Y»v want to register every available man b.tween the ages of 20 years and 40 who will vo’.unte.'.r to go to file- front. 1 no not chink that the oa-ition has ever been fully understood by the people of t.hb country. AA’e want to get- the men regist-ored and passed by the hectors so that they may be ready to r<*~ vspond t-o the call when it. is made.” The. Minister said that he dad not. think that Australia was likely to attract very many men from New Zealand. The men to whom the pensions and allowances were a consideration would realise- that they were likely to fare much better here than thev would in Australia. The fact was that tne Federal authorities had found :i difficulty in keeping up their reinforcements, and they had been com polled to make special appeals with the object of encouraging recruiting. Now Zealand had not required to do that to the same extent, and. at the present time, there were more than enough men in hand to fill the eighth reinforcements. He would mention, in that connection, that the numbers New Zealand had undertaken to send were larger than most people realised. The number of men who would be called up in August for ite ■ / eighth reinforcements would be both. This total included some special groups and some additional mounted ride reinforcements, intended to bring that branch up to the infantry standard. In that respect the original arrangement had been to send 15 per ce.nt-. per month as reinforcements for the infantry and 10 per cent. pCr month for the mounted rides, but the mounted men were being used as infantry, and so the difference was being made up as from the despatch of the main, force. New Zealand had not. rested content with the original arrangement. She had added the two Battalions known as the Trentham 1 regiment (2000 strong). She had provided, certain special groups, and she had increased the mounted rifles reinforcements. H The Minister proceeded to place before the deputation information of aconfidential character relating to reasons why it was not thought desirable for the Dominion to despatch increased bodies of men at the present juncture.