RECRUITING.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15489, 17 January 1916, Page 8

RECRUITING.

MEETING IN THE SQUABE.

APPEAL FOR MEN AND FUNDS.

Oil Saturday evening the weekly meetings in Cathedral square in aid of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund were resumed, under the of the C.D.C. Attracted by the lively strains of the band a fairly large crowd collected outside the United Service Hotel, from the balcony of which the iMayor (Mr H. Holland) addressed the gathering. Speaking of tho response of the men of Canterbury to the Empire's call, as compared with the three other military districts, Mr Holland said that' the casualty lists had disclosed that in. the Mounted ltiflcs Canterbury had sustained 545 casualties as against Aucidand's 517, Wellington s olu, and Otago's 3 1 J3. Of the Infantry casualties, Wellington had sustained Auckland 13ti0, Otago 1297, and Canterbury 1295. In providing for the sick and disabled, Auckland had raised the magnificent sum of £385,000, and Wellington and Otago had each raised over £300,000. Canterbury however, had only raised £100,000. Canterbury, therefore, although holding a creditable position as regards the number of men who had gone out to do or die, had given less than one-third of tho. sura contributed by any other military area for the cause of the wounded. "If Canterbury has done so well in men," continued Mr Holland, "why have we not done so in funds? Nortn Canterbury holds anything but an enviable position in this matter." One of the troopers had asked him recently: "What's the matter with Can-ter-bury?" The Government, it was true, had not done all it should, but other districts had. and therefore Canterbury must do the same. The fact of the Government not doing all it could did not relieve Canterbury of the responsibility, and he was certain the people of Canterbury could do it without embarrassing themselves. Since the war the increased value of exports from the port of Lyttelton represented £900,000, which was a direct result of the war. Taking into consideration the increases of value on the local consumption of meat, wool, etc., the increase would represent a sum of £1,200,000. In spite of this Canterbury had only contributed li per cent, to the Patriotic Fund, and this did not represent tho country districts' contribution. The country had still to do its part, but he was'confident that it would. In North Canterbury the' contribution worked out at os per head of the population, yet in Glasgow, a city teeming with the poorest of the poor, the figure was 18s per head. This country had supplied some '45,000 men, either fighting or. in and a very large sum would have to be provided. "If we cauriot go to the front," said Mr Holland, "there is not one of us. who, cannot do his bit, and it behoves us to see that Canterbury men are as well treated as the rest." A Voice: Why don't the Government do it? •Mr Holland: The Government won't hiako spocial legislation for North Canterbury, so we've got to do our bit. The musical portion of the pro'gramme was supplied by -the band, and Messrs Leslie Fleming, wh 0 sang "Land of Hope and Glory" and "The Marseillaise," and P. Jones, who contributed a patriotic number, "Are Wo Downhearted?" The Mayor announced that the collection taken up would go towar.ds the fund for providing new instruments for the band, and if not required for that purpose,would goto the Wounded Soldiers' Fund.

ADDRESSES AT RANGIORA. THIRTEEN MEN REGISTER. A recruiting meeting was held 'u High street, Rangiora, on Saturday night. The Mayor (Mr C. I. Jennings) presided. _ . . The Hon. D. Buddo emphasised the fact that the British nation was losing prestige day by day-owing to her inability to provide sufficient men to carry on the war successfully. Wealth was being, and would continue tp be, conscripted by means of taxation, but the great need was men. The speaker said that he had every reason to believe that within three months, unless a greater effort was made under the voluntary system, conscription would be brought in in New Zealand. Corporal Louis de. yilliers, a returned soldier, was then introduced to the meeting, and on behalf of the borough the Mayor extended him a hearty welcome home.

Corporal de Villiers opened his address by asking . -what part the men present were taking in the great war. He told them to ask themselves how they would explain their action in years to come if they failed to do their bit. "Don't run away with, the idea that you are being asked to go and get shot. All you are asked to do is to go and lend a hand to the fellows who arc already there endeavouring, unsuccessfully owing to lack of numbers. to force the enemy back. There is no denying the fact that you men have not done your share. I will not consider that I have done my share until the war is' won." Corporal de Villiers then referred to the-great disappointment which they had all felt owing to the evacuation of Gallipoli. "Every man there," he said, "would have -willingly stayed on and ■ held the ground on which' so many of their brave comrades had, lost their lives\ but those in command had been forced .to their decision to withdraw simply owing to the fact that there were not sufficient men to carry on the campaign successfully: The dead will not blame their comrades for leaving them on those rugged hills; but they will blame those who stayed at home and failed to support them at the critical moment." Corporal de . Villiers then pictured the effect of the arrival of every ship at Gallipoli. "Supply ships," he said, "left the men unmoved; but the arrival of each transport with recruits put. fresh heart into every man. It is men w.e want, and still more men." The speaker then' , eulogised the work of 0 the women throughout the Empire, and referred I to it as "the one Bright spot in the war." Corporal de Villiers paid a i great tribute to the officers who had led the men at Anzac. He said that he would not have been alive to-day had not one of his officers, a Rangiora man, given up his slee 0 after a hard day's fight, and nursed him all through* the night. "Must not that man feel proud when he sees me walking about to think that he saved mv life. He is here amongst you to-day, but he wears no medal for his kindly action. Referring to conscription, the ! speaker said that with the fall of j voluntaryism one of the greatest assets 1 of the British Army would go to the ■wall. "The officers will no longer lead the men into battle; -but will follow on behind, as the Germans do. Conscription is a German idea, therefore we do not want it; but we must have it if you men will not come forward.'" He pleaded with all fathers, mothers, and sweethearts to release all young men who had promised not to go to the war, and concluded by exhorting the young men to come ~ forward in a body and set an example to other districts. Mr F. Horrell also gave an address, and the Mayor concluded the meeting by explaining the difficulty he had experienced in endeavouring to arrange public receptions for tne returned soldiers. After the meeting thirteen men registered, making a total of twentyfive for the week.

SATURDAY'S ENLISTMENTS. The following men enlisted at the Area Office or at the C.D.C. Office on Saturday:— George E. Pierce, gasfitter, 17 St. David street, Lyttelton—lnfantry. Malcolm R. McKinlay, clerk, 11 Crohane street, Chriatchurch—Artillery. James McEheamy. labourer, 35 Hayford road, Opawa—lnfantry. Patrick McGrath, seaman, c.o G. Hill, Highland Home-, Lyttelton—lnfantry. John Swan, labourer. Bridle Path, Lyttelton —Inimi-T- ' Jamea Powell, farm hand, 89 Princes street, Woolston —Infantry. Alfred Buick, labourer. Harbour Board Office, Lyttelton. Frederick C. Smith, gardener, Allan street, Upper Riccarton —Infantry. •Samuel H. Townacnd, butcher, Waimairi read, Upper Riccarton—lnfantry. George L. Lumsden, warehouseman, 362 Gloucester street, Linwood—lnfantry. Edward Foster, 67 Elizabeth street, Riccarton—lnfant ry. Frederick J. Nott, electrician, 1032 Colombo street, St. Albans —A.S.C. Frederick D. Harvey, clerk, 53 Bordesley street. Linwood—lnfantry. Joseph Sweeney, horse-driver, Case board-ing-house, Manchester street —Infantry. Edward A. Hawken,' contractor, care of Albert Hawken, Hill's load, Marshlands— Infantry, .

"BOGUS" ENLISTMENTS. (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON, -Japuary 15. .Some time ago an announcement was made tliat no more enlistments would be accepted for services which were then already full for months ahead. The branches especially mentioned were the Ambulance and Army Service Corps. In Wellington there are enough men registered for the A.rmy Service Corps now to supply our quotas for at least eighteen months, and yet in the lists of recruits published from day to day there axe -names of men registering for the Army Service Corps. These men must know that if they wait until are required for the Army Service Corps they may not have to go to the war at all, because the chances aro that the war will 'bp over in less than eighteen months. The instruction-was definite enough that no more men were to be accepted for this branch, but the rule is repeatedly broken.' What happens is that men come to the iecruiting office to offer for the Ambulance and Army Service Corps, and ■when they are told that these branches are full they say they will not enlist at all unless they can be accepted for these services. Then the recruiting officer, rather than lose the men s names, outs them down. The result is that scores of men are pretending to be enlisted, waiting to be palled up, when the enlistment is practicallv fco<ms for tboy will never., be called up"in'this war. The Defence authorities will probably take some steps shortly to deal with' these men, and to prevent any more men from escaping their obligations to serve by this Tfery simple method.

Captain Northcote states that three more non-commissioned officers are required to proceed to Trentliam this evening to join the training camp for the 14th .Reinforcements. Those whose names have been recorded and -who are able to leave by this evening's ferryboat are asked to present themselves at the King Edward Barracks this morning.