AUSTRALIA AND VOLUNTARISM.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1918, Page 4

AUSTRALIA AND VOLUNTARISM.

Wll AT IT HAS COST. SYDNEY, July SI. New Zealand, which abandoned voluntaryism for conscription two years ago, will be interested in figures which show the cost in which Australia has involved herself hv adhering to the voluntary system. The average number of recruits per week is now between 300 and GOO, and many people have paused to. wonder what the cost to the country is per week. There are recruiting officers, and recruiting “stunts” all over the country, all eating up public money. For instance, in about, six different parts of New South Wales today there are “ Marches to Freedom proceeding. A “ March to Freedom ” means that, from 50 to ■ 100 .soldiers, equipped as for active service, march from town to town, asking for recruits to join in—all at the public expense. Official figures, published yesterday, show that from January Ist, 1917, to May 31st, 1918, the cost, of recruiting was £221,634. Tn this period 38,313 recruits were obtained, so that the average cost of each recruit was £3 13s 9d. The figures are worth giving

Totals ....£221.634 38,543 £3 15 9 The principal items of expenditure have lieeiv: —Recruiting staffs, £10,82v ; recruiting officers, £33,953; travelling expenses, £7,597; organisers’ pay, £89,126 ; organisers’ travelling expenses, £13,429; advertising, £11,222; travelling expenses for recruits and others, £19,557. Of course, considerably more than .58,000 men enlisted in the period named. That total represents the number known to have responded directly to the recruiters’ appeals.

in detail : — ReCost per ture. cruits. recruit. Victoria .... £61,167 14,877 £1 2 8 N.S.W 72,62-1 2-1.315 2 19 9 Queensland . 33,911 7,483 4 10 8 S. Australia 26,376 5,34.4 4 18 8 W Australia 16,498 4,488 3 13 G Tasmania ... 9,719 2,036 5 15 7 Central Adminministration 1,339 — —