THE RECRUITING PROBLEM.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 125, 24 December 1915, Page 2

THE RECRUITING PROBLEM.

County Council's Action* Eligible Men To Be Discharged. C tißideration was given at the meeting of the Franklin County Uouncil on Tuesday to the question of the best steps to be taken towards stimulating recruiting in the fiatnct. The matter came forward in a letter received from the Mayor of Pukekobe, Mr H G K Mason, in «hich he stated tbat be bad received an appeal frcm the Mayor to Auckland to assist in ths recruiting movement Bis Worship added that the problem had now become acute a-d it seemed to bim that it waa useless ti call special recruiting meetings as the men "wanted" would probably nut attend. Be suggested that a list should be compiled of eligible men (separate list) for eacJi of the old Koad Board District*) atd circulars acd letters might then be addressed to them, care being taken ti avcid an eggressive or offensive attitude. He proposed that the Pukek he Borough Council should manage the t/ukikohe borough, and if convenient to the Franklin County Council the whole of the old Pukekobe West K ad Board ares, excepting the Auckland sct-di vision His Worship erquirtd it the Council could undertake and see to the work in the rest of the Franklin Counts, and he concluded by saying that to lighten the duties pf the County Council he bad taken upon himself to writs the Tuakao and Waiuku Queen Carnival secretaries, asking them to attend to the matter in tbeir district. The cbairnran, after briefly introducing the matter siid it waa for the Council to ojscues the important question. Cr Woods: Are the men at the head of affairs not capsbla of doing it?

Cr Henry stated that the Government was ever loath to depart from toe voluntary system bat if recruits did not come forward nnder that system the Government would have to go in far conscription. The chairman said that he had thoight over the matter seriously from tbe very beginning of the war. There had never been such a crisis before, and seeing that conscription *as in vogue in otber countries it was useless for \hi Dominion to evade thai i-sue. It was a disgrace, bj added, that there were 34,000 men in the Dominion, between tbe ages ut 19 and 45 years, who refused t) serve either in a civil or any otber capacity. It was n3 credit to ths Dominion. It was a sad state of affaire. Something la tbe form of a firm resolution should go forward to tbe country and tbe Government to consider conscription. Many young men had left tbe Dominion to fight for their country, whereas others had Btated their unwillingness on the registration papers, lie submitted tbe following resolution viz :—"Seeing that the war has reached such an acute stage, and that it is now quite evident that nothing sburt of a supreme effort on the part of the British Empire will secure such a victory as will leave our enemies poweileas to plunge the world in such a fearful pj'ition again at any future time, tbis Council is of opinion that in order to effectually meet tbe crisis it is incumbent upon tbe Govern* men' to call upon every eligible man in the Dominion for service either in the Expeditionary Force or in any military or civil capacity as may be required." Cr Lock wood seconded, aayin* that he bad been a believer in conscription for a number of years. Nevertheless, be sympathised with tbe rulers in going into conscription cautiously. The oly dislike be had to it at tbe present stage was on account ot the British nation having to abandon ths goud old styl«. It seemed as it they were having to yield before tbe Germans. All ths singh men would have to be relieved, and tbey would have to be asked t) go. Each member of the Council, he said, should be asked to become a recruiting agent, ana tbe Government shioli be made to realise tbe position. Something should ne done in connection with the shirkers. Be chimed that if tbe ladies took tha matter op tbey could make a succes cf the voluntary system. Be advocated the Swiss system, and supported it from one to the otber.

Cr Lyons suggested that it the Government put into force the old Militia Act all eligible men would be liable to serve at a moment's notice. It was p form ot conscription, but was the law of the [land; hence it was not objected to. It was a pity, he said, that the Government did not bring it into force iatt session.

Gr Henry was of opinion that Great Britain should have given the younger countries "a lead in the matter. The authorities were not "pushing" at Hume like they were in New Zealand. Eirl Derby's scheme had not filled the gap. Not twenty per cent of the eligibles in Great Britain were being made use of. They should be doing more than what tney were and should give the Dominion a lead. No doubt the New Zealand Government was guided by £he Home Government, which, was afraid and was without capable men. He would support the resolution, but would at the same time like to know what action the Government was taking in the matter.

Cr Wilcox thought that same of the eligibles were doing tbeir duty, whilst others were nut. The excuses made should be looked into. His sympathies, he said, were with the motion, and he would give it his best support. Cr Henry suggested that the Council should support a proposil i'cr conscription throughout the whole Empire. He questioned whether there were a million Br ushers under arms in Europe, and he thought trance was keeping the fight going. Cr Lockwood contended that Great Britain had raised six million men. Cr Lyons considered Great Britain was deserving of every credit for her navy's stand, and be thought that Cr Henry's remarks were too severe. The chairman claimed that if New Zealand sent every eligible man to take op arms against the

enemy ehe wcold then not be doicg as much ia Great Britain bad* done. Ireland, he aaid, was smaller than Australia; vet it had sent four timej more men than Australia bad New Zealand and Australia together had not done as much aa Great Britain bsd. v Cr Henry contended that it waa not lair to compare New Zealand with Great Britain acd Australia as sparsely populated districts such as there were in New Zealand should not b» compared with the population in the districts in Great Britain.

On being put to the maeting the resolution was carried unanimously. A committee consisting of all the Councillors was then set up to assist the Government with any scheme they snculd bring forward, ani to confer with eligible men in the employ of tha Council's coctractcrs. It was further decided that all the eligible men in the Council's employment should be notified of the Council's intention to dispense with their services during the present crisis, acd to urge on them the necessity of righting for their country. The recruiting meetirg, convened by the Mayor of Pukekobe, fjr last Mondav evenivg in the Oddfellows' Ball, met with a disappointingly poor response on the part of the townspeople, tha attendance only just exceeding half-a-dozen. Those present, however, initiated "a plan ot campaign" that is to be hoped will be attended with beneficial results. A committee was appointed to canvass the town and the adjoining district! so ss to secure a register ct "eligibles" for service, such men to be subsequently called on and to be asked to do their doty by some of the gallant representatives who have returned wonnded from the front. It was considered advisable tbat an official should be permanently u attendance at tha Defence Department's ofthe ii Pukekobe io order to take enrolments, and tbe Mayor was requested to communicate with tha authorities accordingly.