RECRUITING BOARD'S APPEAL.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 June 1916, Page 2

RECRUITING BOARD'S APPEAL.

Tfiii xVATIO.NAjL R&UISHER

(By Telegraph;

Weiington, This lJuj. Now that tlie Government's proposals with regard to compulsory servfeo nave boon announced, tlio Recruiting JUouni desires to impress upon focal bodies and the public oi Now /jealnud, that tiie necessary amount oi energy is not bong put into the national recruiting scheme, and in some districts the position to-day is that only a part of the task sot the country three months ago has been accomplished. in February Inst, iii order to give facilities for recruiting, and at the same time provide ia sound basis for the re-aujustment of district quotas, and the introduction 01 coimpulsion should that become necessary, the citizens were asKed to undertake a personal canvass with a view to seeing that a report card was sent in respect to eveiy man of military age in each district. This involved trig work, and the sending m of over 200,000 cards was divided amongst 312 local district bodies, but the board regrets that although more than sufficient time has elapsed m win'en to complete the undertaking, the results so far as they concern the cheeking and completing of the rolls, liave been extremely disappointing to uate, as only 30,000 cards have been received at the board's office and no more than ">OOO aie in transit, making a total of 35,000. It is a remarkable tact, too, that many of the local bodies which have been most insistent in urging compulsory service, have so far made no effort to dw tlie work that is essential to the enforcement of the principle they advocate. One of the main purposes of the national register was to provide the groundwoi'K for the compilation of complete andi accurate rolls. It could not be complete itself, because: (a) it was natural) to expect that numbers of men would l give false information, such as wrong addresses; (b) many men have arrived in and departed from New Zealand, since the taking of the register; and (c) men have changed their place of residence with the result that their addresses, as given in the national register, are now incorrect. The national registration for the purpose of re-allotting distriot quotas, or of applying compulsion, aro thus more or less incomplete. Every effort has been made in the Military Service Bill to ensure a complete register, tout the board feels that unless it has tlie assistance of peopfo with local know Ledge in each district, many 'oopholes of escape will still remafS* for the man who intends, • it posible, to evade his responsibility. The only way to secure reasonably perfeot rolls ia by a systematical personal canvass. This was urged by the Doard tiire. 1 months ago, and the board submits thait those who should carry it out are' oitijsens over military age working, m conjunction with the local authority in each district. The reason why local authorities and local residents are called' on to do this work are mainly: (1) the hands of the Government and Defence Department are full; (2) kcal bodies and Incal residents, iTecause oi" their local knowledge, are the only ones who know who should and who should not be on roll. If they dio their duty in seeing that every eligible man is enrolled, no nyin can escape his obligations. Likewise it lies within their power to keep the rolls up to date by promptly reporting every removal from, and arrival, in tneir district it must be recognised that no act of compulsion will be fair or equal unjess every man of military age is on the roll. The reasons are oovious. The roll is the only instrument under which men can he called up, and> as compulsion must apply to all men of military age alike, it is wholly unfair that some should be compelled to go because they ate on the roll and I otha. 5 escape because they are act. TJiS' completion of the rolls is necessary, not only to apply compulsion in geneial, but in order to levy the quotas fairly as between district and district. Hi is is specially so when, as is the case at present, Zadand is only requiring drafts -oi 2350 men eveiy four weeks to meet her commitment. District quotas can only be levied fairly when they are based' on the number of men oJ military ago remaining in each district, thus giving eaoh district full credit for any excess it may. have sent in before, and requiring otillers which have never dome their share to make up their shortages. That is fair, and the various districts are vitally interested in seeing that the principle is applied. The " Defence Department, However, can only give effect to this n supplied with proper rolls. It will be readily understood that the accurate data that is already being supplier by a lew localities will be greatly deprecidt&d or tlus purpose unless similar work's taken i„ hand by all adjoining districts, and unless the rolls for the whole dominion liave been made as perleet as possible. With this information to guide it, the Defence Department will be in a position to" a& just the quotas that each group w'll only be asked to supply f or future drafts: a number based on its perf-r----mances in the past, and its existing supply of men of military age. At present the 'Defence 'Department is acting on a roll that shows so many men in a district even though they may not be there. Unless each district can show exactly the number of ma.i left in it the authorities cannot possibly maJce a fair and accurate adjustment. Tins re-allotment will bo trade from month to month if necessary, so that full credit oan at on -e bo given to each distriot for the recruits it has sent forward as ite eligible men who volunteer, and so reduce its number of men of military age. The quota of that district will be adjusted from time to timr in proportion lo the number of men of miiitai-y age remaining in other districts. The districts, therefor#, which oontinne to

raise their quota under the military principle will thus have a strong incentive to do bo. Further, provided the 1 octal authorities supply a proper roll n,j grouip will be penalised by having to supply moie tha>n its proper quota. A furthor vital point is that men cannot be selected aocormug to their proper classes when there is no complete roll available. This is of spccal concern to married mon with dependants, who (should therefore see that not only are tliov themselves on the roTI, out that every other man also is on. 1' men with dependants dio not acquaint tho reoruiting committees with theii responsibilities how can thoy cxpeet the recruiting committees and the Defence authorities to know them ? jhus the more men there arc on tifie rolls the loss chance ifi thero ot any man being call I'd on before his turn. it nien over the military are not to be charged with lacking in patr:ot ; sin then they must di'ploy more enegy than they are manifesting at present. Hit. work is as urgent as it is_ necessary n Mew Zealand is to fulnfi ii« military obligations and injustice is not to be done. With tlireo mouths gome there is a large proportion of the work yet left Fo several districts to do, though they arc now getting under way, but j other.-, have done little or no recruiting | at all. It is to thoso latter districts that tho recruiting board earnestly appeals, aniV"">n doing so woultli point out that wherever the personal canvass has been tiled, few, iF any, d'fficulties have been experienced awl no insults have 'been received. indeed the general expectance has been that men have flocked to the recruiting offices as never before, thus ensuring the iuooees oi the voluntary system locally for months to come, but in the event oi voluntaryism failing tuo nation must in a position to immediately apply compulsion, and this cannot be »airly done without having complete rolls, which in turn cannot be secured without carrying out « .complete canvass m each local district.