RECRUITING IN FRANKLIN.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 158, 24 March 1916, Page 2

RECRUITING IN FRANKLIN.

County Council's Arrangements. A special meeting of tlio Franklin County Council was held in the Council's offices at Pukekohe on Wednesday afternoon for the purpose of taking action towards furthering tlio recruiting movement. The members present wore Crs J. Flanagan chairman), T. J. Lockwood, R. Lyons, R. Higginson, T. Woods, W. Claude Motiou and J Henry. Correspondence on the subject was read from the Recruiting Board and a list of married aud single " eligibles " in the County, totalling some 1200 names, was also received from the Board.

The chairman stated that during the previous two or three days some of the members of the Council had had the privilege of hearing speeches from the Prime Minister in encouragement of recriiting. As far as local authorities were concerned, Mr Massey had implied tint their work would be in the way of preparation for a larger scheme later on, or in other words if recruits did not come forward voluntarily some other means would bo instituted to keep up the number of the Reinforcement Drafts. The present arrangement was for cards to be sent out so that a more reliable list of men should be secured than was the ' case with the National Register, auc 1 Mr Massey had explained that the local authorities by naturally having better knowledge of tin men could do such work be'.ter than the Government. Mr Massey appealed for as many men as possible to be sent forward and as quickly as possible. Cr Lockwood, reforring to tin recent conference iu Auckland a* which he was present representing the Council, said tho Government's request was tor the roll to bo mado a3 complete as possible aud for local bodies to endeavour to get nnn to enlist, although not nocofsarily by a personal canvass. Ho suggested at the conference that a Sergt.-Major should assist each district in tin endeavour to get rec;uits, but tho Minister for Defenco ('he Hon JasAlleu, was opposed to tin proposal on tho tcoro that too many men would be required for the work, tliU3 incroasing expons", although ho said such would bo dono if found absolutely necessary. In reply to a question as to whether the Government would bo responsible for expenses incurred in fostering the recruiting movement, tho Minister replied iu tho negative, suggesting that tho same should be paid out of rate 3. He (Cr Lockwood) raised tho point that thero was no logul provision for such payments to be mado out of ratos, and tho Ministor replied that if such was tho case legislation would be passol in the next session of Parliament to enable it to be done. Asked as to tho position of married men, the Minister stated that men married since November last would bo treated as single men. Tho Minister was emphatic as to slackers, aud suggested that they should bo disenfranchised for a number of years. A PRIVILEGE TO FIGHT.

Cr Henry remarked that Mr Massey's recent speechos were so appealing that every man physically fit and eligible should recognise it as a privilege to go forward and should not wait to he forced. It was, Cr Henry said, the duty of all public bodies to give the Government's scheme a fair trial. He confessed that at first he favoured straight-out conscription but he now recognised that it would be a great feather in the cap of the British Empire if they could sii3tain voluntary service aud had not to resort to compulsion. Cr Lockwood proposed that the Council should heartily support the Government's recruiting scheme. Cr Heury seconded and on the motion being unanimously carried the clerk was instructed to send a copy of the same to the Prime Minister. It was then resolved that the Council should form itself into an Executive Committee to undertake the work of fostering recruiting in the County and should invite all the local authorities in the County to co-operate with the Council in the movement. Mr A. P. Day (County Clerk) agreed to act as hon. secretary to the Executive. Iu a discussion that followed as to stops to be taken Cr Henry advocated that recruiting meetings should be held at various centres in the Couuty as ho believed that although the men that were "wanted" might uot attend the meotingsjet by the force of pub'io opinion as a sequel to the meetiugs they might subsequently be inlluenced to enlist.

SINGLE MEN FIRSI". Tho opinion of members was that it would bo advisable for the Government to give a pledge that married men should not bo called on until all available single men were enrolled. It was also thought that regard should be paid to tho producing and industrial necessities of tho DoJiiniou in calling up men. It was decided to post rocruitiug letters to eligiblo men iu the County and further to convene public ruoetings, as suggested by Cr Henry, at which recruitiug comiuittoos of men and women should bo set up to carry out a house-to-house canvass.