SLOWLY GOING UP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1128, 16 May 1911, Page 6

SLOWLY GOING UP.

THE ROLL OF REGISTRATIONS. . Slowlv, too slowly for the grand Dominion" total of 70,000 odd to bo reached 'bv Jimo 2, the roll of registration for riiilitary training,is mounting up. In the Wellington Military District the figures for tho week ended on Saturday last are as follow:— . „ . , Cadets. Territorials. Total. Manawatu 222 115 337 Taranaki ....- 91 '107 201 ■Wellington 137 HO .247 East C0a5t.;.....,,'.401i.„. .'.,162 _553 . Totals 859 491 1,353 In tho Wellington City Group, of which Lieutenant A. H. Eassam is the area officer, the response has been particularly good in certain areas. The Hutt area (Sergeant-Major Millott) is all but complete, save for. about 100 men at the Gear Company's works'at Petone, and the men at tlie railway workshops. An impression prevails amongst railway men, it appears, that they are not required to register. This, however, is not correct. Every eligible male in New Zealand, from 14 to 21, must register, apart altogether from the question of subsequent exemption. Solid returns aro recorded' for Miramar, Kilbirnie, and Island Bay, the total to date beiiig 926. Thofndon is slowin responding, only eight' registrations having been received from that district : so far. Roscneath has furnished twelve, while Karori, Khandallah, and Johnsoniville are only slightly • better. Approximately speaking, there are still to bo registered in the city area group something like 2900, and Juno 2 is just over a fortnight, distant. Apres—the delugo of blue papers!

THE GENERAL HOPEFUL. During the course- of a general conversation last evening on the subject of tho progress of the registration, Major-Gen-eral A. J. Goilloy, C.13. (commanding the New Zealand Forces), remarked to a representative of The Dominion that from advices he had received, the final returns from the various districts would ho very heavy. Tho General expressed himself as being highly pleased with tho enthusiasm displayed by the people of 'farauaki during his recent visit in that district. Everybody seemed anxious to help to make tho new scheme a success. He could not help remarking, however, how very little—how surprisingly little, in view of what had been published in tho press—was really known about the general details of the new defence system. Many peoplo did not seem to have taken the trouble to read the various announcements which had been published. As for tho explanatory article which had been prepared by tho General Staff for the information of tho public, he felt persnaded, from what he had noted during his travels, abouti the country, that it had not been read. Nothing else could account for tho misconception which prevailed concerning the scheme, which misconceptions ho was glad to say, ho had been able to dispel when he visited tho country districts.