CANTERBURY IN EARNEST.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1916, Page 2

CANTERBURY IN EARNEST.

A SPURT IN RECRUITING.

ORGANISED EFFORT SUCfJEEiJS,

' There--Is "evidently/a", determine'iAeff ort •■ in .-'Canterbury <tb - remove" .the "stigma which' has. hitherto /ibe'en .attached to the South Island in the matter of slack ffe'6riiiting. • ; .; '.

A Citizens' Defence' Corps was' or-, ganised many months ago, and has.recently been making strenuous erideavours to erisilf is thslt the men bf Canterbury will meet their obligations in the necessafv quotes for- the various rciu'fbTcements". ' As"'" ""showing" the - work " done'by this organisation, .it may be i mentioned that 3,007 men enlistecl. for ■the-frorit 'through the corps-bureauirpm -May 3;'i915, to January 8,. 1916. ""•"■-■ . Apart froni this,-the organisation' Has -done-exceedirigly" useful wbfk in^ other "di'rectibris. Petriiitneiit billets' have been se'6'ured for 37 returned soldiers arid 581-' temporary billets. IS-ve been-ob-tained for recruits waiting to go into camp. On 3f)4 occasions the Citizens' -Defence Corps provided, recruits with, food arid lodging, • for periods - ranging from One to fourteen days, while. ,they were having their teeth. attended.: to. M6al£ ha\fe b'een"pfovided .fttodd'finies Tinder special circumstances, and wives have been helped through the .-time theif husbands have been-in-hospital urideii going minor operations to-enable therii to pass as physically fit/for active, service., A most interesting aspect of the work of the organisation is 'the opportunity that has been provided ,f0r. 67 men rejected for measurement to-uiidefgb ac6ttfse:of physical culture; and- tiltifMtely. pass/the y doctors. ;

It is' reported that there has been a gratifying spurt in recruiting in Canterbury during the past few days. The Twelfth Reinfofceinents quota was quite filled, and there were hopes that Canterbury would he_abje to fall.into line with otUef military districts, arid make up tKe stall existing- shortages in the Eleventh Remeforcmenfs without further delay:"... " - ""A./ .'."A