REORUITING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 51, 29 February 1916, Page 2

REORUITING.

MEN URGENTLY WANTED. SERIOUS SHORTAGE REPORTED. 120 MEN WANTED IN SIX DAYS. APPEALS TO ELJGIBLES TO ENLIST. Recrujte aro urgently wanted, in order that Auckland's March quota may be made up; Six hundred men are due to leave on Tuesday next as Auckland's quota of the fourteenth Reinforcements. To -date iSO men oiniy are available, and on present indications, unless there is a remar-kable improvement, the Auckland draft the. .Kouxte.euths .will leave,, on. Tuesday next lamentably short of its fall strength. There are three days each week on which recruits are medically examined —Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridaysi This morning 34 men presented- themselves, of which number 21 irere accepted as fit for. military service. Ten,,-oi these,, .ho.wever, stipulated, that they should not be called up for "■thity TiAfii; April;;! , 'As the medical examination, th.pr.ef.Qre, 14 men only were added to 'the list for i,he Fourteenths. „. ,~ position is bad so far as the March quota-ie concerned, what of that for "the April quota? For the Fourteenths there was a fair "csrry over" from pfe"vi6us' registrations. For the Fifteenths—the April quota —there wUl_ be"practicallypo carry over at all. As stated' Auckland, district is supposed to find' 600 men per month oa a population basis. The city, on the same basis, is expected to contribute two-thirds of that quota. Instead of finding 400 men a month, however, the,... avprage.j Jjaa dropped to 225 per month—so. that ..in-,' stead of enlisting 800 men since the beginning Of -fcljeyeaT, the city has found 450 men only. The actual registrations have been asf»How6: —

Enrolled. Required. January 27(1 400 .ffoDtiiiifi • ISO - 400 400 800 The feeling is growing that the voluntary system, wliich has hitherto worked satisfactorily, is now about to face the supreme test. Each month Kew Zealand must send to the front 2,300 rcinfofcenfents';. each month Auckland must urift.jts chare of 6po men. If voluntaryism..is .not to fail; recruits must come forward Hwiee .as freely as they have done during the past two months. Colonel Hume, officer commanding the Auckland military district, remarked, when seen Lby a "Star" representative this morning* that there was shortage of men for the March quota, and less tlian a week remained in which to find over 100' men. In the past it had only. been, necessary to announce that men were required' to bring Auckland's quotas up to full strength and therehad been a ready response. He trusted that the present appeal would not be lost upon the many young men who were eligible for service, and. who had not. so far enlisted. The Mayor (Mr. J. H. Gnnson) informed an interviewer that he had been apprised of the presont position by Colonel Hump. ''Two points must be kept clearly in mind and adhered to," said Mr; Gunson. "Firstly, the quota, nominated by the Government must be maintained at all hazards; and secondly,, that it is the business of the Government to ensure that such a result is'secured;; As the Government has called upon the local bodies and public men generally to assist it, there is only one course to take, and that is, as the Council, by resolution, has determined, to render all practical assistance. Whatever may be decided, I do not think resort will be had to personal canvass." ASSISTANCE FROM ELLERSLIE. -Tri 'response' to the Government's appeal to assist in thejr new recruiting scheme, the Ellerslie' Town Board invited delegatee from the Progressive Tjeague and Ellerslie branch of the National Reserve to a meeting held last night to discuss the best way in which to render assistance.

Present: Messrs. W. H. Gavin (chairman), T. R. Bust, S. Somerfleld, GO' Thorpe (Ellerslie Town Board), Sef&t'.-Majbr' Purchas, Lieut. W. "R. Smith, and Private T. Feet (Elletsiie branch-oLKatiQDal Reserve), and Messrs. G. WJ.lkJi?spn, ; W.. Noton; R. SI Laud (Ellerslie -Progressive League). The chairman eajd that the meeting had 'been-calle'd as a result of the Board's resolution to help the Government in their new recruiting Movement. Progressive League's assistance. —Mr. Noton, on behalf of the above League, assured .the Board that in promising it every . assistance he,. h,ad ,the support of his: colleagues. Sergt-Major - Purchas and'-Ljetrt. Smith-also assured the Board of the assistance of the League. "Tlie ,iree£ihg'B.f;Eesolv.e,r-Mr,;.,,J«.0t0n then-moved: "That this meeting' resolve to assist in every possible way the RβBoard's scheme, and that the meetijig form into a. committee." The motion was seconded by. Mr. Somerfleld; and carried unanimously. .Public Mqetijig.—lt was resolved that a public meeting and patriotic concert combined be held on tha 15th of- March.. Sub-committee. — lilessrs. Someriield, Xoton,J'eelv-WJ i i I l s 9 n - and .S.mith jrere appointdil"a3 a sub-committee to make necessary arrangements. ;A further meeting will be held on Satuidajf. ._ ..!. I ,

THTRTY-FOTTK MEN"' EXAMINED. .: • TEN REJECTED. A medical examination of recruits held at the Drill Hall this morning resulted as follows , .; — Accepted' 24 Deferred " .7 Unfit ~ 3 ' Total ..... 34 The names, occupations and addresses of those awopted are: —i Walter Berry, labourer, Third Avenue, Kingslaud. Edwin Leonard Bowden. provision dealer, Picton Street, Ponoonby. Barnliam .lohn Pugh Cutler, labourer, Lincoln Street, Ponsonby. Leslie Claude Cook, cabinetmaker, Alfred Street, -Onehunga. Neil Clark, waterside worker, Park-Cres-cent, Parnell. Herbert Percy Collins, railway fireman, Railway Department, Mercer. Harry Dawsoh, painter, Western Springs Road, Morningside. Ernest Joseph Donahue, typewriter mechanic, Hauraki Street, Birkenhead. Arthur Edward Hosking, telegraphist, Orummer Road, Auckland. Walter Heney, .bank clerk, Bank of Aus- . tralasia, city. Gordon Hodge, farmer, Papatoetoe. Charles Wilfred Houston, telegraphist, (Mangonui, North Auckland. James Ilellow, labourer, Mount Street, Auckland.' Charles Kennedy, cook and baker, G.P.0., Auckland. Robert Lawrence. plumber, Station Street, Newmarket. Louis aNthan, farmer, Rewiti Post Office, Kaipara line. Mark Pirrit, printer. New Lynn. James Campbell Rennie, solicitor, Glad-. win Road, Onehunga. Charles Alfred Ryder, farmer, c/o Post Office, Pukekohe. William Shearer, saddler, Wallace Street, Ponsonby. John Alex. Huia Vivian, surveyor, Sentinel Road, Ponson'Dy. Harold Wilfred Venrt, driver, Great North Road, Arch Hill. Stephen Charles Western,,fanner, East Taniaki, Auckland. Percy James Watts, clerk.' Standard Insurance Co., New Plymouth.