THE RECRUITING PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 280, 24 November 1915, Page 8

THE RECRUITING PROBLEM.

AS IT AFFECTS INDUSTRIES. DEFENCE MINISTER AND EMPLOYERS. DISCUSS VARIOUS PHASES. The Minister of Defence (Hon. Jas. Allen) met a number of Auckland em plovers at the Grand Hotel yesterday afternoon to discuss with them various phases of the recruiting question, more especially as it affected the employers of labour. Mr. E. A. Craig, president of the Auckland Employers' Association, introduced the members of the party to the Minister, who t-xpUined that "he had invited them to meet him, as there were doubtless matters on which they would like- tn speak to him about, just as there were matters regarding which he wished' to speak about to them. Mr. Allen then proceeded to outline briefly the plan adopted by the Government respecting recruiting. At the present time, he explained, the Government did not see its way to depart from the voluntary system of recruiting for our reinforcements, mainly for the reason that they feared there might be a possibility ot trouble from some part of the community if they were to attempt any system of compulsion. Coming to the aspect of recruiting as it affected our industries, the Minister said that from the. very start he had been especially anxious not to interfere with any industry more than was absolutely essential, :wh.ile they had also adopted the policy of asking recruits to remain in their employment until called up for training. He did not see how any logical argument could be advanced against that policy, and he asked employers to assist in this matter as far as possible by keeping "their men on until the Defence Department had notified them that tbey were required for training. Then they were also very anxious not to interfere with industries dealing with the production of goods necessary for military equipment, as woollens, boots, and various parts of the soldiers' equipment. The Department had indeed refused to take several men anxious to enlist because it was felt those men -would be doing more service to their country by remaining in their employment. There were, however industries about which the Defence Department was not so intimately concerned, but about which they were anxious to assist employers as far as possible. What might come as a result of registration he did not know, but- he • -wanted to assure them that where the! could present to the Department a legiti- .. mate claim that the men should not be taken away the Department would not "take them if it were possible to leave ;fchem. Employers were also, asked to keep places open for men who enlisted, as far as possible, pursued Mr Allen, adding ihat employers were further asked, __..-wherever they were able to do so. to give some assistance to the men who were away. Some employers he knew were paying a-quarter of their wages to the men; some were paying half wages, and some even more. Where it could be "., 7 done, this was a sacrifice which he was sure would be appreciated by the coun- - 'try. "A PRETTY BIG ORDER.'' "Now, about the Tecruiting." said the Minister. "You know that in the early stages we sent away about 7700 men in the main body; and we have had to keep ' up reinforcements to that body in varying quantities of from ten to twenty per cent. But we have increased the main body to about 13.000. and in all ranks except a few the percentage is about 20 per cent per month in reinforcements. "It is a pretty hig order, and under 'the .new arrangements we have had to reorganise our transport service in order to get away something like 2300 or 2400 men every four weeks. It is the concern of every employer to assist in carrying out this undertaking, which, although a serious one. is one which I think we can fulfil if we put our shoulders to the wheel. And the Defence • Department will assist in every way it • is possible to do in helping employers over the difficulty.'' QUOTA QUESTION UNDECIDED. "Tn answer to Mr Craig, the Minister said that the quotas had not yet been definitely fixed. It had been found that Otago and Southland had not the same proportion of young men as the North, •so instead of going on a population basis, they had adopted the principle of calling up a certain percentage of those who had registered, and then, later, a per- .:;, ccntage of those who had passed the* *"■- medical examination. But just at present the position was something be-, tween the devil and the deep sea, and nothing definite had been decided upon for future operation. '7.7. EMPLOYERS' ASSURANCES. Mr Craig assured the Minister that the employers of Auckland appreciated his difficulty, and that they would do even-thing they could to stimulate and assist recruiting. He thought most of the employers had kept on their men until they were called up. As to keeping places open, he could only speak for ■his own firm. They had made it perfectly plain to the men that their places w ; ould be kept open. Mr Arch. Clark: I think that system is practically universal. (Hear, hearl. . Mr Craig: As to the third suggestion, I do not think all the firms can afford it. In fact, some of the smaller ones can better afford to pay the men who have enlisted a part of their wages than even the larger firms. And then again, how docs recruiting affect the Arbitration Act," asked Mr Craig, who said that typical cases could be presented to show how the -Arbitration Act was acting detrimentally on recruiting. At this stage the proceedings resolved into tho nature of a private conference between the Minister and the employers present.