Call For More Men.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 298, 26 May 1915, Page 4

Call For More Men.

RECRUITING, NOT SATISFACTORY. DUTY OF MARRIED MEN. STATEMENT BY Tine mixisteh. I'or the first time since the beginning of the war, Ministers have felt it in cumbent upon them to say now fiat reciluting is not quite satisfactory. In an T m i: ad,lreß# 'Wellington on • St®'lay afternoon the Prime Minuter raado '"1 ;'W ,< ' al to 'young men to enlist and, the I cm. J. Allen, Minister of 1)^ aiU)tllm ' appeal in a statewent macio to a reporter. "Recrmtuig f ur tll(! j n f antr t In I" P'" 10 mid ' "Bating for -ill Other branches 0 f the force-mounted infantry, artillery, and 'liMte satisfactory, but for the two extra battalions of infantry and for the seventh reinforcements is not nearly so satisfactory. The one district that has mm'n l *1 Wellhl S ton . w' ; »ich haa lovided more than its quota for these new battailous and the seventh reinforcements by something like 4(10 men. Auckland on .May 15 last, was short of Its quota by from -!()() to 450 men, and I have heard nothing of the Auckland enrolments s, nco th t date u , g »ibl« the deficiency has hem made u If not then I hope Auckland will get to work to do its duty. Canterbury was Oh.w' °" !l ly W ' ' b s" from 450 to 500Ota o, on the same date, was 050 men short, but since May 15 they have raised », i "Tn, y ,H ' e t!u>vefor e still short, and if Otago and those other districts cannot make up their quota, the men will have to he provided, by (Wellington or some other places having an excess. 1 am sure all the districts realise that the country and the Empire are relyinir npon them, and I hope those who aro interested in recruiting will see that all those who ought to enlist do so, especially all unmarried men." What do you say is the duty of a married man? Mr. Allen was asked. He replied: "As to the duty of a married man it must be for himself to deeide. Tf he possibly can go I think the urgency is so great now that even a married man must , make sacrifices for the defence of the Empire, which means ne should remember the defence of his own home, his wife, and children. In the case of a married man some provision is made for his widow in the event of his death, and as I have promised, I am going to a.sk Parliament to improve that for non-commissioned officers and piivateq. If possible, we don't want to alter the regulations with regard to ago and height, hut we do want these extra men The two new battalions are coming to Trenthani about Ma v 30, and tha seventh reinforcements on .Tune 12. We the men before these dates. "There is a most extraordinary discrepancy," ,M r . Allen continued, "in the numbers rejected as medically unfit in the different centres. I have examined Uc returns supplied to me, and I am so astonished at ttie differences that I am haying inquiries made as to the reason. 'I he percentage of rejections varies from ;> per cent .in Wellington to 25 per cent, in Otago."'