THE RECRUITING SCHEME.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLII, Issue 63, 11 February 1916, Page 3

THE RECRUITING SCHEME.

THE BOARD'S APPEAL. The Recruiting Board (the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward and Hon. J. Alien) have sent out letters to all members of Parliament, mayors of cities, chairman of county councils, chairmen of town boards, and heads of reeVuiting organisations, and the new scheme will be in active operation within the next few weeks. The first "batch of alphabetical lists, giving the names, addresses and occupations of men of military age, was posted on Monday, and other lists will follow as they are received from the Government Printing Oflice. There are ISI2 of these lists, that being the number of recruiting districts into which the Dominion has been divided. The intention of the board is that a powerful recruiting committee shall be formed in every district, under the direction of the head of the local body. Existing recruiting organisations will be asked to assist, and merge themselves in the new organisation, which will be thoroughly representative of all interests. Then the new committee will be supplied with a list of all men of military age in their district, and their business will be to account for them. APPEAL BEFORE BRUCE COUNTY COUNCIL. SUPPORTED, BUT CONSCRIPTION WANTED.

The Bruce County Council at its meeting on Tuesday received a copy of the appeal. The circular, a lengthy one, pointed out that the scheme now adopted "depeuds very largely for its success upon the sympathetic co-operation and support of the local governing authorities throughout New Zealand. ......

The facts all point to the war becoming more and more a war of attrition, in which the Powers possessing the greater resources and staying power must prove victorious. Obviously such a situation is not without its dangers to ourselves, more particularly when it is remembered that on Germany's part the war is admittedly one by which she designed to establish German domination in Europe and to smash the British power to such an extent that she would be able to take possession of Egypt, India and the selfgoverning colonies ami dependencies of the Empire. . . . The Government of Xew Zealand is pledged to maintain its Expeditionary Force at its full strength in the field. To do that we require to send four-weekly reinforcements of not less than 2H50 men. This number it may be difficult to secure, although the National Register shows they are obtainable without unduly straining the resources of the country or its industrial position for many months." Help is asked for the movement on the following lines:—(l) By forming the members of the council into a district recruiting committee: (2) by arranging in conjunction with other local bodies a public meeting at which the need for volunteers could be explained; (.'!) by appointing a secretary —preferably the county clerk—to have the oversight of the clerical work of the committee; (4) by arranging that the recruiting canvassers shall be representative of each class of the community, and of the several trades, occupations and professions from which it is hoped to draw recruits; (5) by remembering that tact and discretion are essential in carrying out the work of recruiting. However much members might differ in their views, they should subordinate their opinions and sink all personal differences in the interests of the public good by working on a common platform and a uniform plan. On the circular being read, The Chairman said: J think we ought to support it, but there is a lot of correspondence here before us; here is another circular to be read, and jt has 25 paragraphs. I think we ought to leave it over till next meeting. Councillor King: I think it will be necessary to support it. The Chairman (Councillor Russell): Oh, we should all support i(. ('ouiirillor King: It is up to you people that live near Milton to lake on this thing.

Councillor .Scott: You can always see what other people can do better thau what you can do yourself.

Councillor King moved: "That the council thoroughly approve of the scheme, and that the councillors as a whole form themselves into a committee and promise to do what they could individually and otherwise to assist recruiting, and that the county clerk be appointed secretary," We must all admit, he said, that we were up against a hard thing, and those who were left at home ought to feel it their duty* to send forward as many as were able to go. If the Allies did hot win, the war we would suffer tremendously, and we ought to lav ourselves out to sacrifice our labours and our pleasures and anything we could for the purpose of furthering this scheme. Most of them were past the age for fighting, but they could still pull off their coats and do a little more than an ordinary man did in normal times so as to fill the places of those who had gone. Councillor Clark seconded the motion. Councillor Scott said he would like to know how Councillor King intended that the committee should operate. He had been on the Milton Patriotic Committee, and found that there was a .lot of hard work in getting recruits. ' Councillor King said that each coun- ! cillor should canvass wherever he ! thought he would get recruits.

Councillor Scott sa'ul it would lie a ticklish job advising people lo enlist if they went to some places he knew. He knew what had been said and what had been done when some people got notices before. >

J Councillor King: You should not be too thin in the skin. ) Councillor Scott: lam not thin in the skin; anything but it; but I do not think this scheme will do what is expected of it.

Councillor Clark said he understood that this was the last effort under the

voluntary system. If this was not a success, compulsion would have to be brought into force. Councillor King said he had always been a firm believer in compulsion and conscription in time of war, not only of men, but of goods at a fair valuation. It was wrong for people to be getting the fabulous prices they were getting when the nation was struggling as she was. t

Councillor Clark said he differed from Councillor King. If we could win the war under the volutrtary system it Would be a great advertisement"for the Empire throughout the world. One man going voluntarily was worth three or four compelled men. This remark met with some dissent.

Councillor Boyd said he did not agree with the motion, though he agreed with Councillor King's latter remarks. Why should people have to go and beg and pray of their fellows to go and defend their country? It had a lowering effect, and there should be no need for it. It was time the sentiment against conscription was dead. As far as Britain was concerned it was dead, for they had adopted conscription there. It was time that a < sentiment that had cost the nation thousands of our best lives was killed, He was against the motion, and in favour of conscription. The Government should at once follow the lead set by the Mother Country.

Councillor King, in further explaining his position, said he had moved the resolution because this was the law of the country and the present way of getting recruits. As long as the voluntary system remained we should do our best for it.

Councillor Boyd said he had taken up the attitude he had in order to bring before the Government the sentiment of the people constituting local bodies. Councillor King: But while we have voluntaryism we should make what we can of that system. Councillor Scott: But we are holding back conscription.

Councillor King then added to his motion ''that the council believes that conscription should be enforced," and on this addition being made Councillor Boyd said he would support the motion, which was carried unanimously.