CALL TO ARMS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1915, Page 4

CALL TO ARMS.

A NEW REGULATION. NAMES OF RECRUITS WITHHELD THE NATIONAL REGISTER. With the object of stimulating recruiN ing the New Plymouth newspapers recenily adopted the practice of publishing daily (he .names of new recruits, and in way have been able to give duo credit to men who have offered their services, and also provided the authorities with u splendid medium for recruiting. The reward is an order given by ■an official at the New Plymouth Defence Office last night that in future the names of recruits must not be published, and only the names of men who have passed the medical examination will be supplied. The reasons which the official gave for this order were, in his own words, as follows:—"We will not give you the names of recruits in future until after they have passed the medical examination. A lot of men are enlisting just to get their names in the newspapers and then they don't come to be examined. A large number of men who have enlisted have failed to come before the- doctor." There is no doubt considerable truth in this statement, and the difficulty of doing justice to the rejected men could be overcome by publishing their names after the medical examination has been held. To put the matter straight the names of those who failed to come before the doctor could be published. At the samo time, if a man genuinely offers liis services lie is at leaset entitled to publicity of the 1 fact, and by keeping recruiting before the public daily the newspapers have rendered a service to the Defence Department.

Mr. A. B. Gibson (hon. recruiting officer) has furnished the following list for yesterday:— Lewis Wilfred Bishop, farmer, Hillsborough. Alexander Fraser, dairy factory manager, Puniho. diaries Robert Ibbotson, carpontfr, New Plymouth. Hie Defence Office report the following inen passed the medical examination yesterday©—

James Speuce, New Plymouth. AHred A. Phillips', New Plymouth,

Mien who have not yet filled in theh National Register schedules and returned them. to the Government Statistician have, four more days in which to do their duty. The period allowed for the supplying of the information required by the Government expires on Tuesday next, ajad after that day any man who has failed to put in a form will be •olassed among the defaulters. The maximum penaities fixed by the National Registration Act are a. fine of £IOO and siv months' imprisonment. The authorities state that some men Are failing to answer all the questions ■applicable to them on the sheet. For •example some men of military age have aiotosteted whether or not they are preipaied to render military service in the present crisis. These persons may not be aware that the completion of the forma is not optional. Enlistment i* the military forces is optional. No man may be required under the present law to render service if ho is unwilling to do so. But the clauses of the Act under which the National Register is being •tatan are mandatory. The State requires that every man of military age shall say "Yes" or "No" to the questions that are put to him, and failure to do so, even if the other information asked for k furnished, amounts to default under the Act.

A staff of over thirty officers, drawn from the Post and Telegraph Department, is now busy sorting and classifying the registration papers. The work 'is if very large one. Many of the forms require addition or elucidation, and all of them have to be checked carefully before the work of classification can begin. After Tuesday the staff will work tinder high pressure in order that 'the Register may be completed at the earliest possible moment.