THE THOUSAND MARK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 67, 18 March 1916, Page 6

THE THOUSAND MARK.

A FOURTEEN DATS* RECORD. ONLY INFANTRYMEN WANTED. 563 REQUIRED ON APRIL 4. ONLY 275 READY TO GO SO FAR. Will the thousand mark be reached by this evening? The city recruiting station has been open for a fortnight, and it is 'hoped that the record for the 14 days irill reach the figure mentioned. At midday tho total stood at 952. This evening the Hon. Dr. McNab. Minister of Justice, and Mr. C. H. Poole, M.P., will deliver .addresses from the platform in front of the city recruiting station, and it is hoped that the eligible young men of the city will make a point of being in the front row to hear what the speakers have to say. The numbers registered work out as follow: — Number Hej. Ace. Def. Rej. March 4 to 11.. SSJ) 275 ISO 12$ Monday 01 33 35 23 Tuesday KS 27 20 21 Wednesday ... 51 21 21 "<J Thursday .-,3 23 13 17 Friday 45 27 12 <i Sat. (tin;; p.m.) 55 35 12 s t>s2 450 2SI 212 While recruiting lias been brisk in Auckland tlie revival has only come in time to save Auckland's reputation as a recruit in,' centre. The reserve of men built up hist year lias been 'quite depict;',!. Even now. when the Fifteenths go into camp a fortnight hence, there will lie practically no surplus. Every four weeks we have to send away as our district quota U;!4 men. Something new luis been sprung on the district this week. Other districts have a surplus of men offering in the Ambulance, hospital ship, and Army Service Corps sections. They will tie helped out in the making up of their r;aotas Toy supplying more men than usual in these arms,"anil less thau usual in the < combatant branches. Auckland, on the other hand, will send scarcely anything else but infantry. Hitherto we have never been asked for more than 30S infantrymen in each monthly draft. Next month, out of a quota of 632 men from this district, no less than 563 will be infantrymen. The actual strength of the draft will be as follows: —

The point to be noted is that while 1 we have 868 fit men on the books, 359 only have registered as infantrymen. According to a return compiled at the Defence Office yesterday, only 275 men registered in the infantry branch have signified their willingness to go into camp with the Fifteenths. So that the position at a glance is:— Required by April 4.... 563 Infantrymen Keadj to j.-o into camp. 275 infantrymen Wanted within 16 days 2SB infuutrymen Obviously, therefore. Auckland cannot afford to slacken its recruiting efforts.

i Tae- Wh.i- Hamil- • City. roa. nsrarei.toa. Total. Mounted Rifles 17 4 4 o s-i Artillery ti 4 2 7 1!) Knjrineers 4 2 2 1 u Si-.-nal Service.. 1 — 1 1 3 Infantry 210 97 94 132 5K1 Army Service... •> 1 3 '••it-Id Amblauce — — — — _ 271 107 103 151 631