RECRUITING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 52, 1 March 1916, Page 8

RECRUITING.

THE VOLITNTAII.Y SCHEME. DISCUSSED BY LOCAL. BODIES. MOUNT ALBERT, SUPPORT "TO-°THE -GOVERNMENTS' .'/■■■■ vSGHEME. ■■' !An appeal;to ,the residents of Mount Albert for, support of the Government's -was made at a.meeting held at the King George Hall, Mount ! Albert, last night.. This is the first-meet-ing that has-been-convened in Auckland in- response -to' ;the .Recruiting Board's request that the objects of the . scheme should be 'placed- before the people of the country. The Mayor of Mt. Albert (Mr. Murdoch McLean) presided. The Mayor explained that the object of the meeting was that the community should be asked to endeavour to assist' the Government in its recruiting' movement, and thereby help them in the.successful prosecution of the war. Hitherto the Government had found that the voluntary system of recruiting had been quite sufficient to provide the various reinforcements required. Now, however,there was tightness in recruiting," and! it. was necessary to make those who had. not yet offered their Services to their country feel their responsibility. AI-; though the meeting .was'not a very,large one, if everyone present assisted in the

formation of-a committee, thcy-would have no - trouble in canvassing;- the • dis--trict." Nothing had 'been done-as vet' in .the .way of personal isacfifice—nothmg;.as .compared.-with the great sacrifices; , that werebeing made-at-Home.. '- 'Mr.C.'j.TParr, riember'for the .district; said' that 'it was'of -np;use;"calling for men -ibr'the reinfdrcemenj;s through , the. columns- of ,the 'Prpss. -, They get right down, to : ivork and ,orgaSjse- : ahd canvass" the- district. * If' the 'men-o were' approached: tactfuily' there twoiijd? be good results. " '.. ~''." ■•• ' . ,The Hon. Geo; ..F.oiwlds'. reminded -.'hip' hearers th^tvinsthe 'early; stagea; of '/the war there .was loud-claraouring -in , the. Press,- backed ;iip-'by; very.',wide public sentiment in favour, of ;tlie .Goyernment, pffering.a. larger number of. rrfeh ; to'thb Imperial Government than they had.then pffcrQd. Herhad never felt •.this > was a proper cry. There were not -many in the immediate' -district that-could he designated shirkers. -Njj eligible man : who was physicalryrfit,and'otherwise untrammelled should refrain from doing his duty. This wa3 not the time for ilamboyant speeches, but of 'serjous thinking and heroic doing. . Heimade a threefold appeal to the audience on-the grounds of liberty, ' and democracy. :-■ Mr. M. J. Coyle, a former Mayor of the district, and Major Brown, president of the Auckland Empire Veterans' Association, also addressed the meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting the names of about a dozen ladies', and gentlemen, who expressed their-willing-, ness to serve ou the district committee, were handed in. A similar meeting will be hold-at the Jubilee Hall, Kingsland, this evening. The Mount Albert Borough Council will later meet: committees', set ,up at each meeting, arid arrange ■fQiv.tb.e canvassing of the district.

EBSOM , COMMITTEE'FORMED. .'.At, last. evening's' meeting-' of >f the Epsom .Road Board, the.following: tele-. gram/was jeceived jfrdm... Mr.-' W.F. ■Mas?ey,'Prime Minister:—"The >Recruit,ing Board -rdesires to remove a misco.heepticra- 'that .-would-;-'.seem.].'to ejgst •iamonggt/.menibers of • some:local/ bodie? wftose'-help , ,and -cooperation.have .been sought.' : The:Board ;.doesVnot neces-. sarily'ask;:'tHa:t r tKcy" l eHbu}d' perEonally canvass, '.but .it. docs. appeal to:; them, as. public men - with great resppnsibUities. in".this- crisis,,- to and- superviserecruiting■', work ■in their districts, .and sqe thjit each Teinf brcement'.quota -for the groupTai-ea;is. provided. ' ',Tb,e P .xßoard :feels;eure .that there aremany-men-and women- suitable for. this [.work in-each 'district -vvlio would willingly join- with; the local■ bodies--to: imake -the scheme a success;"., . . ' ■~"■/.' . -Mr. F. H.--Wood, chairman: of the Epsom Road' Board, said that 'he thought the opinion was universal that conscription would be the, most ; satisfactory- means of providing- for ,Tecruitibg. In Epsom there were a great many mijn of military age who had not yet volunteered, though they 'had expressed their •willingness to go when called upon. On the motion of the chairman, it was resolved: "That a committee be appointed, with power to act, consisting of all the members of .the Board, tp take what steps may 'be deemed necessary-, to caTry out the request of the government for local bodies' assistance in connection with the proposed new recruiting scheme. It-was -.ilso decided that Mr. Frost be appointed (subject-to his consent) to the position of secretary to the Epsom Recruiting Committee," * V

KORTH€OTE;EX.ICfIBL'ES TO.: BE V! '--■'•' • . -.CANVASSED, ■■•i , .■..■-.- M > '■"/■■'♦■. ",■" ;,".'■;"""; "t x * meeting'; of-theiNpjthepte| Council was' held last' night;; to" I cpnsider .ttiei Recruiting,' Board's:" circular. . The ilayor. ( Fraser) pre-i Bided,* and" Coupcillprs; B. "Van v .yeen, i'J.i [A. ,W. .\!MiaJaT;;G'eb.-'H. ;H: ',P.*H9p^ins,-and : ■.\\ V ...''S/ rDaniel" weire 'also : pre|enit.; Tlie v ;Miypr : '',«£-. plained! that t)ie '• local \ branch -hi the! National Reserve /had been askedC to assist,-' apd' accordingly .Gaptiiin "VV/-G. §mitl,'Cotp. W. -T. ; Dobbins, and: Qu.ar-' <J. fT. Fearnley were in att'enSiEince'" representihg '• itljat iJbdy.' , -of'; tbe-roll".revealed' that, there were 'still : thirty young Men , in. tne district "for' whom : it • appealed•;.to■hnn : ;there ■were no •"- legitimate excuses \. wiy they should.nbt'eiilist.- ••• ; '■-'■.? ' Captain Smith said •: "iHiaiTipTaced' -the :Cbuncil's-reqirest'Aeiore: the .Reserve members, iwhio felt that> ; the , 'suggested' I .personal-.' ca.nvas'3 .was only -..wastiiig -time. .The,Tj3ll: of h'oßour.'showed ninety names' from Noithcote, and njaijy-had since enlisted, -rchile r the Mayor admitted there were only .30 single men of the right age lef.t. However, the National Reserve was. desirous of lelp'ingth'e Government in every way, and while believing *he.canvass useless, had sent, representatives.' to act-with the Council in giving it-a trial. Councillor Tpnar did, not believe the conimitrtee. would have, much weight ~mi inducing .men to. volunteer. The local: committee would probably be. of mora .service in suggesting: exemptions ..from, serviqe, knowing thelocal conditions so ■well-, ... .-■:..: ■„•.:":.• Cpnnciilor Van Veen suggested a-con-, fidential appeal being .made through the. post to those they considered shqultl go, .and. an invitation to vouchsafe reasons why they could not go to the,, front.' J _' " ' ." '

i; Councillor'l>aiiiel"',Bajd ;; t]i«y ehouli I 'the '6oyernme"n%y leaving. "ifs" j and' "biits" out ;of : tiierque3tiijh. if the I statement CQjjfi-. the NaKegistef had-' beenvutijised for the •of :ceinfidence ;bad' tajcen-'piate.; : The -;Majpr. favoured«; jii^feKiing' the lines'suggested :t>yi th'e..Gpvernme»t. He ;_only '^sk >• a on refusal•lea'Te''liini •to be''dealt^.withiby, into com;pel"him'to'go..:" 1. •..-••: .'".'■/ ;' ' - ■■■'■. ■ "A motion vwas3moved "that-.the' time ;Vas bnt out: th*t the Brime" Ministeh-'bad ;• just'..s'feted;; that it *-was '■ uselessJpassirig;sudhSiiesolutions. ''. : : Mr. FeaT-nley: -So i one Vsfi.jgulid - dictate torU^^hat/resolutions-we7sho\ild pass. ■We. know '.the ■ coiditVons ~bStter than 'outsiders''do.; ' ■■'■-• :'■ ■{»■•;*.! ; / Eventually ,at/was j unanimously resolved, on ' the ■ motion; : of ■ ■ -Councillor Tonar, 1 by; Mr. Smith. =■ ■ "That the Hecruiting'Cominittee: consist;of -the..members ■at. the ; Borough 'Council and .three {members ; , of the .National Reserve,.. Smithj 'Fea.rnley,-and : Dobbins;" ; ; *"< ; The • committee ■ subsequently \ selected! names; from the _raU?in'order to ajsist the Government by making personal ■appeals. :/ '