OUR REINFORCEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1917, Page 6

OUR REINFORCEMENTS.

WHERE ARE THE MES? (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington. July 2d. Dr. Tim, kcr (fhristchurch East) added himself to-day to the list of mem- ')< rs who hdieve that Xcw Zealand's monthly reiiiforceiiiriit drafts should he reduced, lie said lliat the total strength ol tJie New Zealand forces in the field, ln-linliiiir the Hints in Egypt and elseHiere. was about i"),(KMI' men. Some lO.iMlrt men had he en returned to New Zealand, and the dead numherod about 7"<ii". Tin- Defence Minister had stated that. 71 .Oimi men !nul been sent away, while there were -KM) ,nen in camp in New Zealand. makin;.' a total of 83.000. If all the deductions were made, it would bo found, on the Minister's own figure*, that there were about .1001)0 men in hand over and above the units in the field. The Minister admitted to bavin" I.IJMK) men in camps abroad. Where were the balance of the men? The fact was that the Government had in hand enough recruits for a very lorn,' time to come. The actual wastage over a period of thirty months had been at the rate of COCK) men per year, and the Dominion was sending away i">00 tnen jit month as reinforcements. That w:is not reasonable and not necessary. There was no need to send Second Division men to the front.