ROTORUA RECRUITS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 17, 20 January 1940, Page 11

ROTORUA RECRUITS.

THE MAORI BATTALION. SPECIAL FORESTRY SECTION". (By Telegraph.—own Correspondent.) HOTOKUA, this ilnv. An average of eight recruits for every day of the month, including Sundays, has lieen received at the Kotorua. Defence Oflicc this voar. Up to the end of last year li'l7 enlistment* had been made and since then tlie-re have been Iti-I. A further draft of 1.1 men left to join tl.e second echelon in camp yesterday •Mid tlii-s is expected to lie the last party to leave he.fore the Maori Battalion goes into camp next l'ridav. They will leave liotorua 011 Tiuirsday. There will lie a further sitting of the 'Medical Board fur Maoris only next Tuesday. At the last sitting of the hoard some -10 pakehas vvoro passed as lit. Enlistments for the special forestry section are proceeding and although there was some slight delay in obtaining forms and then in distributing them, already 100 applications have been received" by the Conservator of Forests in liotorua" Mr. W. T. Morrison. These applications will be forwarded to the Director of Forestry, where various considerations will reduce the list considerably, as only 1-17 men, apart from officers, are required and, as it it expected that there will be a similai response front the other forestry centre. 1 in the country, rigid selection will hi needed. Of the (ins members of the speeia' Maori Battalion who will ontc.r camp at Palmerston Xortli next Friday, 100 wil come from the Pacroa military district which stretches from Cape Runaway It Taupo and almost to Thames. Of these bv far the largest proportion come fron the Kotorua district. They will leave Kotorua by the. afternoon train nexl Thursday and it is understood that fare well functions have been arranged h_\ the sub-tribes for the preceding night.