REJECTED RECRUITS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1919, Page 7

REJECTED RECRUITS.

" \ ' ' ' ~"*'/t* w ' ', ADDITIONAL DETAIL^ (From uur Own Correajyouuent) Wellington, Jan, 21 Some additional figures dealing with the 71,177 recruits who were medically examined by the Military Medical Boards during the period covered by the First Division ballots may be o£ interest. The classification of these men is not complete, and the number covered is not large enough to be entirely satisfactory It is much to bo hoped that the 'Medical branch will accept the suggestion already made and allow tho recruiting branch to assist in the preparation of complete returns before passing out of existence

Tho classification of rejected recruits according to vocation shows that the rejections for heart weakness, the chief cause of medical unfitness in New Zealand, included 681 clerks, 1909 farmers, 813 farm workers, 937 general laborers, 310 carpenters and joiners, "276 mill and factory employees and 44S shop assistants, warehousemen and commercial travellers

Six cooks and eight hotel and restaurant workers were repeated on account of venereal disease.

The classification of recruits by age and physical condition is of value, as showing the. progressive decline in the percentage of lit men as the age advances- The men over forty years of age who were examined yielded a very small proportion of fit recruits, and it appears that they were scarcely worth attention from the military point of view. The following are the figures: 20-25 25-30 80-35 A 3476 0093 " 4970 fcl ~:icra. 239 103 .133 B2 gd 655 481 279 CI - 1 1082 554 352 C2 9183 110 Go 7490 D r—,- LJ .tt, 702 704 621

Totals by a?e 21,338 17,850 13,750 Totals by 35-40 Over 40 classes A 2803 1441 25,382 B1 rruj 94 45 054 B2 .160 60 1,641 CI ■ -r.i 192 82 2,201 02 (rl3 , 5770 7032 38,540 D : .-as 201 405 2,093 Totals by 3ge 9370 9071 71,177 Tlie birthplaces of recruits are shown in an interesting table. The figures deal with the 71,177 men examined during the period of the First Division ballots They shoy that the men of New Zealand birth were more than 75 per cent oi the. total, and that about 13 per cent of the men were natives of the United Kingdom The figures are as follows; Auckland.—N,7,. 12.932, British Colonies 12-12, Britaii 3SS6, other countries 53. Wellington.—N.Z. 17,371, British Colonies 1703, Britain 54*21, other countries 101 Canterbury.—N.Z 13,550, British Colonies 70S, Britain 2360, other countries 28. Otago—N.Z. 9,921, British Coloiiiej 400, Britain 1503, other countries 17. Totals.—N.Z, 53,774, British *O2B, Britain 13,170, other countries 191).

The reservists rejected during the period of the First Division ballots ineluded 149 men suffering from syphilis. Theso men included 1 chemist, 1 dentist. 7 clerks, 8 railway employees, 19 farmers, 5 farm workers. 2a general laborers, G seafarers, 3 cooks, S hotel and restaurant- workers, <3 mill and factory employees, and 8 mechanics. Tha men rejected on account of defeetivt intelligence numbered 773. They included 180 farmers, 111 farm workers, ISO general laborers, 90 unemployed, 18 carpenters and joiners, IB shop assistants, warehousemen and travellers, 13 mill and factory workers, i chemist and 1 teachei. Flat feet caused the rejection oi 2131 men This total included 539 farmers, 302 penei'tvl /laborers, 232 farm workers, 119 clerku, 105 shop assistants, warehousemen and travellers, S2 carpenters and joiners. Qt mechanics, 57 mill and factory workers and 3) railway employees- j