TARANAKI QUOTA

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1940, Page 6

TARANAKI QUOTA

— ^ TERRITORIAL BALLOT 1000 MEN TO BE DRAWN UNF1T rXCLUDED LATER Tarsnaki's quota of 1000 men to be selected in the ballot to fill the ranks of New Zealand's territorial forces seems high, representing a high proportion of the eligible men in the age groups affected, but it has been announced that the first ballots will have to include men who may later be found to be unfit. The same consideration is believed to apply to reserved occupations so that of the 1000 names joined in the ballot only a comparatively small percentage may eventually join the territorials. Onc in Every Three? There are no .^.gures available of the number of Taranaki men who will be in the ballot, but on the general average for New Zealand it appears that there may be approximately 7000 men in Taranaki in the selected age groups. Probably about half of these are married and the number in the territorials would reduce the total still further to under 3000. The calculation is necessarily rough, but it seems not imp-obable that one of every three single men in Taranaki in the appropriate age groups will be drawn in the ballot. The ballot will be among men of the first division of the general reserve, i.e. single men, outside the age limits for the expeditionary force. which are 21 to 35 years. It is understood that men already in the territorial forces have been excluded from the ballot but that unfit men and men in reserved occupations will be included at first until the Manpower Department has been able to go more fully into the question. Taranaki men will be required for three units, the Taranaki Regiment, Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles and 1 Manawatu Mounted Rifles (mechanised).