RECRUITING.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15567, 17 April 1916, Page 8

RECRUITING.

LAST WEEK'S FINE RECORD, I IS THE PERSONAL CANVASS RESPONSIBLE? No fewer than 200 enlistments were made in Christchurch last week, tie highest weekly total for several months [ past. The enlistments for each clay i were as follow: — 1 Monday ••• ... 60 " Tuesday ... ... 34 \ Wednesday ... ... 20 Thursday ... ... 20 Friday ... ... 35 Saturday 25 Though only a small proportion of the L registrations were received through i:he ■ medhim of the recruiting committees, the big increase in the number of enlistments is attributed to the personal canvass being made driving eligible men along to the recruiting offices. The figures, however, are to a certain extent deceptive, as many men palpably unfit aro merely registering in order to secure badges. A feature of the past week's enlistments in Christchurch has been the number of registrations received from Lyttelton, these numbering 12. SIXTEENTH REINFORCEMENTS, The group areas in the Canterbury military district report that they have secured the following Infantry for the 16th Reinforcements Christchurch ... ... 40 Timaru ... ... 61 Kaiapoi ... ... 38 Greymouth ... ... 17 Nelson ... ... 55 Total .~2U It is, however, probable that a proportion of this number will be absorbed by the 15th Reinforcements. During the past week 134 men who icgistered in tho Canterbury military district for the Infantry were rejected as medically unfit, and there are 203 men waiting to be examined. Tho number of applicants for stripes in the Infantry aro as follows:— Christchurch ... ... 31 • Timaru ... ... 12 Kaiapoi ... ... 3 Greymouth ••• 3 Nelson ... 6 Total ... ... 55 SATURDAY'S • ENLISTMENTS. j Twenty-five men registered in Christchurch on Saturday for activc service. Among them were: —■ Albert Vivian, Spring's road, Sockburn, shepherd—liAantry. Leslie V. H. Taylor, Sailors' Home, Lytteiton —Infantry. Ernest E. Taylor, 4 Ulster Place, Christchurch, carpet layer—lnfantry. Samuel Allen, 9-1 Charles street, Linwood, labourer—lnfantry. William Victor, 106 Salisbury otreet, Christchurch, mill hand—lnfantry. Joseph W. Lightfoot, 33 Melrose street, Christchurch, labourer —Infantry. John Stratford, 25G Fitzgerald avenue, Christchurch, labourer—lnfantry. Frederick Fletcher, 15 English street, Linwood, labourer—lnfantry. William T. Maher, 74 Byron street, Sydenham, carpenter—lnfantry. Herbert, Thomas, 109 Tancred street, Linwood, bootmaker—lnfantry. William A. Howell, Cumnor terrace, 'Badley, engine-driver—lnfantry. Louis B. Brunie, Gloucester street, Cliristchurch, dye worker—lnfantry. William Skelly, Idria road, Papiinui, labourer—lnfantry. William McMullan, Saltwater Creek, labourer—lnfantry. Frederick Howatson, Seruthbiidgo, labourer —Infantry. William F. Clancy, 62 Jerrold street, Addington, chemist—lnfantry. William Wrather, 24 street, Christchurch, salesman—lnfantry". Norman Johnston, Plough Hotel, Rangiora, clerk—lnfantry. William T. Gawler, 47 Buchanan's :road, Upper Riccarton. warehouseman—lnfantry. Arthur Leshke, York street, Op-awa, bricklaycr—lnfantry. J. Mullen. Madras street, Sydenham, bricklayer—lnfantry. Joseph Jones, London street, Lyttelton, labourer—lnfantry. Daniel Fitzserald, G.P.0., Christckirch, labourer—lnfantry. YESTERDAY'S ENLISTMENTS. The following men enlisted at the C.D.C. Office yesterday: — H.-L. Thomas, 447 Madras street, Christchufch, coach painter—lnfantry. William Victor, 106 Salisbury s'ireet. Christchurch, mill hand—lnfantry; SIR JOSEPH WARD AT THE THEATRE ROYAL. Hie Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, Minister of Finance and Postmaster-G-ene-ral, will deliver a recruiting address in the Theatre Royal this evening. WELLINGTON'S SHORTAGE. THE BIG WAITING LIST. ELECTION OF N.C.O.'S. (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON, April 16. There is still a shortage of 300 men for tho Fifteenth Reinforcements, which should have been completed and in training several days ago. Otago is short 53 men, Canterbury 78, Auckland 3, and Wellington 180. The shortage in Wellington is particularly exasperating to the authorities, bccause on the books of Wellington City alone, which is only a part of Wellington district, there are 466 registrations. These men are mostly entered for arms of the service other than infantry, and some are registered for the infantry, but for some draft in the future. From day to day men are being sent to camp to fill up the Fifteenths, but at the present rate of progress the Wellington shortage can not be made up until the men are just about on the eve of sailing. Few men on the waiting list arc accepting the invitation to transfer to the infantry and come at once. The prospects for the Sixteenths are, in these circumstances, not very re-assur-ing. ' In one particular the Department is not treating one class of men on the waiting list quite fairly. This class is that of the men accepted as prospective non-commissioned officers. This list has been allowed to get too long, and an attempt has been made to wash out the men adjudged least fit for this special service. But practically the only test applied to determine a man's fitness, and certainly the principal test is that of previous experience. Little or no account seems to be taken of the other qualities which go to make up a successful commissioned or non-com-missioned officer. Any man who is in the Territorials as a n.c.o. at once supersedes any others on the waiting . list who are not so fortunate, being long past Territorial Army age. This is in accordance with the plan followed from the beginning, and perhaps at the beginning it was ail verv well, but as things are now in the Territorials, it is no very great achievement to get stripes. Also, it is found in camp < $vhen the n.c.o.'s come in that drill i is only one of the things that an n.c.o. - has to learn, and also that a decently 1 educated, intelligent man will very 1 sOon acquire a much better know- < ledge even of drill than the man who 1 has had a few months' experience an : n.c.o. in the Territorials. j