RECRUITING METHODS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15502, 1 February 1916, Page 7

RECRUITING METHODS.

snariE* with the minister J r»iitin<- to t.ho recruiting Question? rcia , hp Hon . Jame3 pro b!em «r- Pof Dcfcncc , liv a Allen. Jl1 " . TCS terday on tin jour'PrcK Tn*Hin to Lvttoltou, whither fr f ° m f order * for" steamer to Wclling--10 Cat Mr \l!en .tetod that he was lon - . , r „„. to Auckland to witness shortly gom„ w hr rfh < ho To the Kiflo Brigade and ot i C ied 0 ho« ; the new rerruiting scheme the Minister stated \ aS ?u the. letters to tho mayors, $hat a " ■ ( -'., lin tv Councils, and didA Tr?J (tin? committee, had been ftedb t wither approved ho could df as ho had been absent from for some days, but he on the present IV of recruiting, the Minister stated !• '' T't he understood it was .satisfactory, ffhen tho serious Infantry shortage in fr,t P rl.urv was pointed out to him, he ffl tie reason. He was told that it rt reported that several potential reLjts were hanging back from tho Thirteenth Reinforcements on tho •rroiicd of superstition "A man who ffonld manufacture that excuse docs not to go," remarked the Minister scornfully. . .Mr Allen pointed out that now that tho district quotas were based on the National Registration papers, Canterhiirv and'Otago must not rely on the North Island to mako good their shortages. It would not be fair at all. Tho reporter enquired what therefore ■would* be tho result if the South Island was unablo to raise the required number of men "You aro asking mo a conundrum I do not propose to answer," replied th 9 Minister. "I think it would be better to.ask it of tho peoplo of Canterbury and Otago." In reply to a further question, Mr Allen stated that no time limit on the lies of Lord Derby's schemo was to be introduced into the New Zealand scheme. Efforts would bo made to obtain the required number of men on the rolnntary principle, "and if we cannot thus Rccnro them there must be compulson. There was not the slightest chance of Parliament meeting before the due date, stated the Minister, "except," he added significantly, "it is necessary to amend the law regarding enlistment." "I should be only too happy to try to arrange a parade of another reinforcement draft in Christchurch if the people of Canterbury are satisfied with what they had the last time," replied Mr Allen in answer to a question by the pressman. "If they ask fe*- more, I very much regret I cannot do it."