A BIG SHORTAGE

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 240, 7 October 1916, Page 4

A BIG SHORTAGE

FOB THE OCTOBER DBAIT.

214 MEN STILL WANTiED.

FROM AUCKLAND GROtTP.

The position in regard to recruiting locally is considerably lew satisfactory than was anticipated at the beginning of the week, when the new scheme for attesting men forthwith • -was put into operation. Under the new arrangements the military districts have been re-grouped, and in the case of the. local district country areas adjacent to~the old No. 1 (City and Suburban) Group hare been added to the district covered by Captain G. j. Rust, the officer commanding. This has resulted in an increase of the quota which hitherto has been called for from the group,- While to what will be the n6rmal number required in future there haa been Added to the October draft the bulk of the shortages of the other Auckland country groups for the September rein, forcements. The result is that this month 405 men are required, against the adrmal number of about 290. AN.' LTSTIEAIJLSED ANTICiPATION, .■:■ At the beginning of the month the enlistments in hand at the City reeruitins station indicated that there were suftV cient men available to fill the draft undei the old du6ta, which called for about 250 men from the group, but since the» the new regulations requiring all met Whd hare enlisted to take- the oath ii order to avoid defections on the day 61 departing for camp, have come into force and men who had previously enlistee have been called upon to re-attest Throughout the week this staff at the eta tionhas been busily engaged re-attestin< men, but the counting of the figure* las* night showed that, in spite of new enlist ments since the September draft de parted, the men who have been sworn it for the October draft number consider *bly lees than those who were suppose* to be available. In other words, a larei number of men who have been accepted attd whd offered for service this montl have either changed their minds or hav< failed to realise that it is necessary f6i them to attend at the recruiting statioj ana take the oath. In view ofthte faci the authorities have decided to ektent the time allowed for taking the oath an< it is believed that a large number of'mei who have enlisted will stil lturn uo an< re-attest. * THE MfcN AVAILABIiE. The men who have been sworn in fo the three next drafts are as foUow«7«- ---• .October Draft ........... . lni November Draft "i . ' December Draft .....ii.v.lM 41 , Deficiency for October.... ' The October draft departs on the I7tl ™t, and it will be seen that the numbe of accepted men during the eight day yet remaining will have to average & daily if the quota is to be filled Thi demand is primarily for single men wh< *ho have enlisted win itiU turTup a* the event of a deficiency. ~ p >