WHERE ARE THE SHIRKERS?

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1915, Page 8

WHERE ARE THE SHIRKERS?

POSITION IN OTAGO. HON. DR. MCNAB SAYS CONSCRIP- j TION SENTIMENT GROWING. (JTrom our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, December 13. "The 34,000 men who have stated that they are not willing to serve either with the military forces or in capacity are not all shirkers, and that group does not contain all the shirkers," said the Hon. Dr. McNab yesterday when the recruiting question was mentioned to him by a New Zealand Times reporter. Some of the shirkers are among the 109,000 men who have stated in their war census forms that they are ready to go to the front when they are required. The progress of the recruiting campaign shows that to be a fact. "There are some 20,000 men of military age in Otago who have stated, according to the National Register, that they arc prepared to join the expeditionary forces. But when I was down there last week 200 men were wanted to complete Otago's quota of the 11th Reinforcements, and they could not be got. About 0000 of the men who had stated | willingness were single men without deI pendents. We wanted less than 3J per [ cent, of the single men, or 1 per cent, of the total, 20,000 and that number was not forthcoming."

Dr. McNab added that the sentiment in favor of national service in Otago was becoming very strong indeed. He found everywhere he visited a warmlyexpressed opinion that the time had come for conscription. One well-known public man who had taken a prominent part in recruiting'efforts earlier, and who had three sons at the front, refused now to have anything to do with recruiting efforts. He said that it was the duty of the State to call up the men who ought to go to the front. There Was more opposition to conscription in Canterbury, but even there the growth of opinion in favor of it was noticeable.