CALL FOR MEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 February 1916, Page 4

CALL FOR MEN.

NO COMPULSION YET. FULL TRIAL OF PRESENT SYSTEM. By Telegraph.—Press Association. _ Hamilton, Last Night. The attitude of certain local bodied towards the new recruiting scheme wr mentioned to the Hon, J. Allen here 1 day. He said if they could not give a lead on the question hut choose to express opinions against the scheme they could not help it. So far as the expressed opinion of the majority of the local bodies in the South Island was concerned they had, in the majority of eases, spoken in favor of compulsion. He had not heard what the North Island bodies thought. The present Govern, ment was committed :to give the voluntary system a thorough test and had to consider the fact that there may be people Btrongly opposed to compulsion, and the Government had to try to secure the necessary men instead of alienating the support of these people. "Of course, if the present scheme fails and no better voluntary system is devised there will be nothing else for it bub compulsion," Mr. Allen added. "It is not intended hv the new scheme that the men who . hid once stated the reasons why they could not enlist should he again approached, as the name Would be placed on the list of the local recruiting committee as canvassed. Further no man would be permitted to act as a recruiting ofticer who had not offered his services and had been rejected as medically unfit or had Riven genuine reasons for not being able to ft) his share in the firing line."