RECRUITS FOR THE ARMY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16404, 26 December 1918, Page 6

RECRUITS FOR THE ARMY.

WHAT CANTERBURY HAS DONE

OVER 25,000 MEN SENT INTO

CAMP.

What has boon Canterbury's share in tho war in connexion with the despatch of men to the front? Sho has rccruited between 60,003 and 70,000 mea and sent into camo over 2-5,000. '

Through tho courtesy of District Headquarters a "Press" representative has been enabled to secure tho figures for tho five groups in tho Canterbury military district showing tho number of volunteers (approximately) _ and ballotted men, the number medically examined, and the number despatched to camp. Unfortunately, owing to the absence of proper records being kept in tho early months of the war, the figures relating* to the volunteers are largely approximate, tho Nelson returns, for instance, onlv dating back to SeptcmI her 20th, 1916, and thus not including the Main Body and all the early reinforcements. Again, tho West Coast ! Group Oflico has simply forwarded the totals, and for the pucpcse of this article the volunteers and ballotted men from the Coa<t have been divided equally, though this course favours tho ballotted men in connexion with tho figures for the medical examination and despatch to camp. One curious feature «f the returns is that tho proportion of both volunteers and bnl'otted men sent into camp to those recruited is about the same for every group, tho percentage of vo'unteers being 50 and that of ballotted men 25. It must bo remembered, however, tlint the billotted men included the unfit volunteers, thnt the medical examination of bnllottees was more stringent than thnt of volunteers, and that upon the signing of tho armistice a large number of baUotted mon waiting to go into camp after being medically examined were granted leavo of absence. Thero were 589 of these men in the Christchurch group alone. Of course a few were volunteers, but their number would be infinitesimal. Another cause for the disparity between tho number of medically examined men and that sent into camp was the presence of shirkers, both • "volunteers" and ballotees. who. finding thnt they were fit for active service, fled to a place of safety, though there -was no necessity for the volunteers to, do this until upon the ere of conscription, as they were not sworn in until" they reached camp. The number of ballotted men who were unable to be secured after they passed the medical test was, however, very small. Sine die adjournments granted to ballotted. men also explain away some of tho disparity between the two classes. It will bo noticed that the Christchurch d'strict s n nt into camp the smallest number of bnllotted men in pronortion to the total called up. According to the volunteers and 2164 ballotted men failed to attend the inedical exnmination. The volunteers.' of course, -would be called ud acrain in the ballot. It- would be interesting to know how many of figured ajrain as absentees, and how many of the absentees n-e now in hiding. Following ar° the figures supplied' by the groups to Headquarters:— NELSON. (Headquarters. Ne-!aon.) M<pdienl!y Pcspa tolie-1 Class. Reoruital. Examined', to camp. Volunteers ... 13r6 1366 780 Ba'lottsd .. 4711 4313 933. These figures are from September 26th, 1910, only, which explains tho marked disparity between tie number of volunteers and ballotted men. WEST COAST. - (Headquarter*,. Greymouth.) Modically Despatched Class. Recruited. Examined, to camp. Volunteers and ballotted .. 7915 6646 8259 The figures for this group for volunteers and ballotted men were not supplied eeparately. . * NORTH CANTERBURY. Rangiora.) . Medically Despatched 1 Class. Recruited. Examined, to camp. Volunteers .. 8891 3832 1812 Ballotted . .. 3666 3769 850 CHRISTOHTJRCH. (Heedquartsrs, Christchurch.) Medically Despatched | Class. Recruited. Examined, to ramp. Volunteers .. 12,646 12,640 6623 Ballotted.' .. 12,206 , 12,107 2842 Owing to tho vagueness of records in con- ! notion with the Main Body and several.of the early reinforcements, the figures can only ba regarded as approximate. x SOUTH CANTERBURY. (Headquarters, Timcru.) Medically Despatched Class. Recruited. Examined, to camp. Volunteers .. 4974 4944 3976 Ballotted .. 6572 6167 1813