BIG RECRUITING RALLY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 70, 22 March 1916, Page 6

BIG RECRUITING RALLY.

AT NEWMARKET TO-NTGHT. Very complete preparations have been made for the success of the big recruiting meeting to be held this evening at Newmarket, at the reserve at the foot of Khyber Pass Road. The speakers will include the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward, the Rev. Jasper Calder, the Speaker of the House, Mr. J. S. Dickson, MA., and the Mayor of Newmarket. The reserve will be lit witlFelcctric light, which has been installed free of charge by Messrs. Schofield and Denton. A recruiting tent has been set up, and both doctors and dentists will be in attendance, so that any recruits who respond to the call can go right through. MOTTNT ROSXTIX ORGAOTSXNG. Recruiting matters were considered by the Mount Roskill Road Board at their meeting last night Mr. Tanslcy said he thought it was time that Mount Roskill woke up, and did something in this matter, and moved that two returned uniformed 6oldiers be appointed for a house-to-house canvass, and compile a roll to be called the Mount Roskill recruiting roll, and at the same time get as many men to enlist as possible; the salary to be 10/ a day. He also thought it advisabU to hold some recruiting meetings in the district at which some prominent men shonld be asked to speak. Mr. Peet seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. MEETING AT MERCER. The Minister for Marine, the Hon. Dr. •R. McNab, addressed a recruiting meeting at Mercer lasl night, and was accompanied on the platform by Messrs. Morgan (chairman of the Town Board;, and R. Bollard, M.P.. The hall wan crowded, and the Minister declared tho meeting to be the best yet held in the Auckland province. Pointing out that Mercer had sent more recruits in proportion to its eligible men than any other pnrt. the Minister contended himself with explaining what had been done In other parts of the Dominion, and left it to the township to continue its excellent record. The meeting ended with three cheers

HABBOUB BOARD EMPLOYEES. A EETLrES" OF SINGLE EMGIBLES. AN OUTSPOKEN MEMBER.^;<Qgl AGAINST THE STARTING fe : ,_' PRINCIPLE. At the meeting of the Harbour Board in committee yesterday afternoon, Mr. J. Wallace expressed the opinion that a return should be made of all the eligible single men in the Board's employj who had not volunteered for 6ervicc. In doing so he congratulated the chairman on showing tie vray in patriotism by offering his services, which had, however, been rejected owing to him being over the age limit. The suggestion was supported by Mr. Hutchison, upon which the chairman (Mr. H. D. Heather) said that 'he had prepared a return up to March 8 in anticipation of an inquiry from some memIber. The Board had not been asked to move in the matter of stimulating recruiting, as the work had devolved on the City Council, but the return he had showed that the eligible single men it. the Board's service numbered 70, and the married men 231, making a total of 301 men. Summarised, the single eligibles who had not volunteered numbered 42. Mr. Alison: Does that mean that out of 70 men only 42 are eligible: Mr. Burnett: Out of the eligible single men ten have been accepted, ten are waiting to be called up, and 33 have been rejected, while 42 are eligible, but have not volunteered. The chairman promised to get an official return for the nest meeting of the Bosrd. Mr. Nerheay made a strong protest against what he termed starving men into enlistment. He knew of one single man in the Board's service who had his father and two brothers -at the front, and was the only one left to look after hie mother. "Would they call that man a shirker? (Cries of No, no.) Per sonally he was strongly in favour of conscription. This principle of starving people to go by not giving them employment was against his principles. "■ He considered the time had arrived when every man should be made to toe the line, but it should not be a question of starving men into it. Under the present system a man "who was dependent on others for employment could be, forced into the ranks, while the sons of ] an employer could evade service by getting -work from their father. He added: " I hope we are not far from sonscription, and then we shall remove all this kind of talk. - '