DOMINION'S PART.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1915, Page 5

DOMINION'S PART.

MORE RECRUITING FIGURES.

DEFENCE MINISTER SAYS OTAGO IS DOING ITS SHARE. WHAT THE NATIONAL REGISTER SHOWS. By Telegraph.—Press Asseciition. Wellington, Dec. 13. The suggestion that the Otago Military District has failed to provide its tkhare of recruits was mentioned yesterday by the Minister for Defence (Hon. J. Allen), himself an Otago member of Parliament. The Minister told a reporter that a study of the figures produced from the National Register had convinced him Otago's quotas had been assessed too high in the past and that the southern district, instead of failing to provide its share of men, had actually been doing rather.more than its share. "Prior to the completion of the National Register we were not in possession of accurate figures regarding the number of men of military age in each of the military districts," said the Minister. "The quotas were assessed on the estimated population, and the National Register shows clearly that tho assessment was not a fair one. I have worked out Otago's proper quota, on the basis of the number of men of military age in the district, in two ways and I find that the percentage is between 18 and 16.3 per cent, of the Dominion total. Otago's actual contribution in men up to the end of October had been 10.0 of the Dominion total.

"According to my calculations, the percentages of available men of military pge, and the percentages of recruits provided up to October 31st for each of the military districts are as follow:

"The National Register has revealed what I anticipated, an important drift of men of military age from the South Island to the North Island. The figures show that the proportion of these men to the total population is lower in the South Island than in the North Island. The position is illustrated by the following tables, the percentages of men of military age being approximately the same as the percentages quoted above, which were worked ont in a different ,way:—

"An examination of these figures will show that the proportions of men of militry age have been increasing in the North Island over the estimated population percentages. The fact is that within recent years young men have tended to move northward in considerable numbers, so that the North Island percentages of men of military age have risen while the SoutTi Island percentages have fallen. The quotas based on the estimated population did not take count of this fact, and so did an injustice to the South Island." THE THREE GROUPS ANALYSED. ■NUMBERS AND AGES OF THE MEN. The followng table gives the numbers and ages of the three different groups of men—those prepared for military service, those willing to serve in & civil capacity, and those unwilling to serve New Zealand and the Empire:—

WINTER CLOTHING. STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. Wellington, Last Night. The Defence Minister (Hon. Junes Allen) made further reference to-day to the suggestion contained in a cablegram from Captain Bean that the New Zealand troops were not supplied with the winter garments they required at Gallipoli. He said that the Imperial authorities had definitely undertaken to provide for the needs of New Zealandera during the winter campaign. There had been a suggestion at one stage that New Zealand should provide waterproofs and trench boots, but the difficulties of supply from this side of the world were obvious, and a later message from the New Zealand base indicated that requirements were being met by the War Office. New Zealand's contribution to winter clothing, added the Minister, had taken the form of leather waistcoats, in addition to socks, mufflers, etc. Cases containing 13,400 waistcoats, prepared by Wellington, Canterbury and Auckland committees, had been despatched on October 12. Otago's quota of GOOO waistcoats, with an additional 16,000 from other districts, had gone forward a few weeks later, and he had informed on December 5 that 106 cases, containing 8600 waistcoats, had reached Alexandria. He had no doubt that the geodj liad geag to Cfel&gyit jUajia*.

Men Eecruits Available. Provided Auckland 27.6 Wellington .. 35.0 Canterbury ., 20.8 16.6

Estimated population Oct. 31. ci Perentage. Wellington /.. Canterbury .... 283,935 335,628 .... 301,773 198,062 25.4 30.0 26.9 17.7 Totals . Auckland Wellington .... Canterbury ... .... 1,119,393 ■ 70,468 100.0 27.0 33.8 23.2 16 Totals .. ■pioP!

Willing Willing Unwilling to join to serve : to Age. Forces, (civil). serve. 19 .. .... 4852 745 819 20 .. .... 3631 805 746 21 .. .... 3317 Oil 733 22 .. .... 3307 972 S23 23 .. .... 3450 107* 868 24 .. .... 3473 1241 902 25 .. .... 4215 15E4 1133 26 .. .... 4662 1700 1272 27 .. .... 4715 1736 1293 as .. 4«76 1798 1460 29 .. .... 4935 1855 1396 30 .. .... 5158 2057 1475 31 .. .... 4956 2073 1490 32 .. .... 4064 2069 1525 33 ... .... 4854 2135 1604 34 .. .... 4983 2009 1622 ' 35 .. .... 5070 2352 1833 »6 .. .... 4503 2076 1639 37 .. .... 4370 1930 16443 38 .. .... 4406 2049 1582 39 .. 4202 1999 1540 40 _ .... 4081 1996 1620 41 ... «..'■ 3315 1077 1391 42 ,-. .... 3308 1626 1334 43 .. .... 3468 1708 1410 44 .. .... 2894 1385 1220 109,683 43,524 34,386