TO GET RECRUITS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2751, 20 April 1916, Page 6

TO GET RECRUITS

; MEETINGS OF CITIZENS I ' PERSONAL CANVASS SCHEME UNDER way VARIOUS RESOLUTIONS 'V-' .7 I ■At fifteen sohools in and around Weljmgton meetings? were held last ovening.tO: oonsider and amnco means of ' putting into . operation the Govern- ; niont i Recruiting'- Board scheme: of . recruiting by means of personal can- :, vass.' -It was left: to each" meeting io j. v . .: devise the -best, scheme of -making, this t canvass, nnd most of them • pursued !• '" ■'''hat idea' by setting -up, committees in • each school district to do tho 'work. The ;brief reports of'some of : the meetings':—, -' [ : • Clyde Quay.: ;• i - . .There were, twenty people present at; , '-■tlio Diecting-lield m the Clyde Quay i, school. Mr. A. Veitch was appointed ohairmaji.' The Hon: J. G. W. Aitken, I in explaining the object.of the meeting,, f: ■ said tiler© was no doubt that, there was i; a neixTof a.forward movement.- They would see. by tho papers that thoy were, i. short of men for the 15th R-einforce-i'i nients, and if that.were so the.v would (' realise'hbw short ' they were for the 16th Reinforcements, due in ' about two' ;;:.::l.) re0 ks' time." .On. hccount. of tho .rash -. ; of. men at' the beginning Of the war, i.. ! .-.they .had . gone to sleep, but- the flow I . had stopped, and the Recruiting Board i had . deemed ;it advisable to do some'thing to rouse men to a sense of their 1 responsibilities. The _ iivar' had' Tiofc iFif.V.proved- to be the picnic, many had imagined—it,was the real ; thing, a ! . thing that:must be faced to 'the last to prevent tho threatened oatas- ; trophe. It was how necessary to/rouse ! .. f-he people of the district even by niak- | . ; ?ng. .a personal - • from door to { door, as evoiy eligible man'was wanted r.j to fight for the country and the freedom h of our people. f ; '' c r " ' Veitch said Wellington. had h beai baclrwaird. in >'recmitmig matters 1 and in backing up the ideas of the Re-' [.-/ enuting/Board. .vv The personal canvass il: Was ." absolutely, necessary,, in order to !' ;■ purge the. roll'and: get .at those men I vklio really should oiW'their, services, To do that it ' .had' been de- ;. cided to .forin a strong ' com- ... .' mittee .to, canvass. the - school district, ' which was bounded, by Hay .Street, : the.harbour,--Tory Street, Vivian Street, i tine; Street, and- Mount Victoria. Each • canvasser would be supplied, with cards • to- bo, filled up by those called upon, and must find, out whether: each per-' if ' son's name was on.the National Regis,' ter. He'beseeched everyone to as,sist ii.-Sl.itt.nKuntainine the good name of WellM : ;;ingtpn and- .the, country. in it's - grave ' need. " • ■ .

Mr. _D.;:M'tarsn said that 'there haij ■ teen tun id itj in handling the question. for he believed that the people of the , Dominion were looking 'to'-the'Govern--i niehfc fo_take : some bold action following I , JN taking of the National Register, i for, .though that information' was given !' confidentially there; was no': one who i 1 . .did not suppose that it was to be used j. ;;when the necessity arose. He suggesti ed that they should go at it as if '"they S were going into an election. , . One present risked .if the, canvasser. ...was to.persist- in- gaining informaition, ! i when the person waited oil had given - all information on his, National Regisf„ tor return ? .; i>' '-'The Hon. J/G. : Aitken said that .that information was given confidenti- , ally.' . V-'

•. Mr. M'Laren eaid it .'was necesi sary to press the point to ascertain ~ a: man, who stated in his return i * Jie was prepared to enlist, was pre- ; ■ pared to go into camp. He mo'ved: : "That all present -form themselves into I ■ a committee ■ for carrying out the work E in the distriot." • The motion was car- . ried. . On Mr. •'Alton's proposal Mr. A. : .-.< yeitch was elected chairman of " the : committer. ■ . i-■ ■ ' Terrace. ; r-. . ( Captain .Barclay presided over a small 'attendance at the meeting held' at the ! S rrac ® School. On tho motion "of Mr. !- Thompson seconded by Mr. Bray, it [ was resolved: ."That this meeting stands (, adjourned until the local district toll i can be obtained in order that a'local committee may undertake a personal i,-_ canvass." ..■. ....■ . f Island Bay."- " ' !&-t Island Bay'some' twenty "people: attended. Mr. Henry Ivory presided. I The following resolutions were carried : "That this meeting, being cognisant of i . ' the feelings of the majority of the.resi- : dents, and of the little interest, as i the attendance, in the matter i . of giving the voluntary system a last i,- chance, considers- that it would bo wasted. energy to take any;,,;furthor ; action on the lines suggested.- by 'the '• A ,,Jf crult ! n g Board, and,, that, ,th 6 time •: ' R as armed . when an. equitable comptiV ,' sory system. should ibe introduced vto: f. ensure' the fulfilment of ourj. I 'bbliga-' : i tions." '- '

i' "That unattested men eligible 'for I serAdce.:shoTild.be taki ing.part in rifle o6mpetrtioiis isubsidisey I. ;by-the Government."' -j Kilblrnie.. _.... There-was an attendance-of ten at !•■■ the Kilbirnie School. Mr. J. J. Clark was appointed chairman. The only busi- ; ness ._done was to pass t,he following -re- . solution: "That the time has arrived when, the Government should.'arasider--sorae form of national.Service." Normal' School. ■ . About a dozen people met in the 1 Normal School last evening in response to the Mayor's request for citizens to . arrange for a personal canvass for recruits. Of this dozen four handed in their names as willing to canvass. Those were: Messrs. Merchant, Holmes, Forj sytli, and Mrs. Forsyth, who were a?> : : pointed a committee with power to add .• to their number. The rest of the audience melted out 1 of the room. Mr. J. Costin TCebb acted as chairman, and i Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., explained the- ( duties under the Recruiting Board's scheme. . . ■ | ' ; ■ Berhampore. 1 ; Mr. A. A. "Whitelaw presided over the meeting at the Berhampore School, which was attended by.about twentyfive people.; Mr. A. H. • Hindmarsh, member, for .the district, - explained the Government's scheme very lucidly, and j replied ■ • to . a. good many • questions, [ chiefly concerning the personal canvass. Finally it was decided"That ill the J opinion of this 'meeting the Recruiting ; ' Board's i scheme in its present form is unworkable." South Wellington. ; 'The meeting arranged to be held ii} the South. Wellington School ■ did not ; eventuate through lack of attendance. V/adestown. . . Mr. A. Wylie presided over a meet- !■ ing of about a dozen people held in the V/adestown School. .The following reP •-solution was passed: "That all present pledge tnemselves to assist the ; organisers, in every way in their power.' 1 ■ Brooklyn. ; Mr. George Frost occupied the chair .. at the meeting held at Brooklyn, which I was,fairly Iwell attended. He explained ' th<s "Scheme of- personal' canvass, and dwelt on the shortages for the Rein I forcements now being called up, and ■...;rnove't} that a committee be,set up at once to give the "Government all assist-

slice. This was seconded by Mr. W, J. Thompson. Corporal Dunning gavi. reminiscences of his experiences at the front, and urged the need of more men to smash the brutal Germans, win. . had,treated tho women and children of Belgium and Franco so atrociously. Mr. L. M'Konzie also spoke, and Mr. J. B. Hopkirk said that it was time to legis-late-for somo form of compulsory service, as sufficient time had been allowed to test the voluntary system. The following , committee was • appointed Messrs. Frost, Thompson, M'Konzie,. J. Short, Flaunty, E. Wilson, J. Ward, J. Brogan, J. B. Hop kirk, Mrs. Wilson, and Miss M. Wilson. . • • On tho motion of Mr. E. Wilson it was resolved to invito the committees o'f ..tho Brooklyn Ratepayers' .Association, the Brooklyn section of tho National Reserve, and the School Committee to co-operato. with the District Recruiting Committee. To that end a further meeting will be held next week. Kciburn. The Hon. A. L. Herdman, M.P., presided at the Kclburn meeting, and said in opening that the time had arrived when talking was of little use, and : .work-was required. Though the Govern- -' .inentimight-later'on have to bring down service, it was • \9^'y , ;ff l voluntary system should.'be given 'a fair trial. Ho asked the meeting,to appoint a committee to give effect to the Recruiting Board's scheme. _ Boforo that was done, Mr. H. F. Von Haast moved, and Mr. F. v!. Mail ton .seconded: ''That, whilst willing to give every-' assistance to the Government in gaining recruits, this meeting is of opinion that the time compulsory service has arrived." Ihis was unanimously carried. ' fho following committee was appointed -.—Messrs. H. F,. Von'Haast (chairman), F. J. Woodcock (secretary), E. S. Baldwin, I. Clark, W. Clark, I<." W. Manton, J. S. Tennant.H. T. Johns, -and Hunter. Messrs. T. .Clark, Manton, Rose, and Woodcock were appointed to canvass Northland, and Messrs. Baldwin, Johns, ; aud Von Haast to act similarly in Kelbur'n.' Hataitai. ■' M l '-. A. Leigh Hunt presided at tlm recruiting meeting held- at Hataitai, there being about 35 people present. After Considerable discussion, in'which conscription was generally favoured, i\ was decided that a deputation wait upon the Recruiting Committee and suggest a personal appeal, made either hy returned soldiers or elderly men not eligible for service, to the 100,000 persons who signified on their registration cards their willingness to enlist, and ascertain reasons for not doing so; such information to be reported to the Defence authorities.: The canvassers,, it was suggested, should be agents of'' the Government, and sworn to secrecy, and selected because of their particular fitness for such a. purpose. ■ Maranul. Mr. J. Doyle presided at the meeting In the Maranui Schoolroom. There was an attendance of twenty-five persons, and the. matter was 1 very fully discussed. ■ Several alternative systems were suggested, but the meeting decided that the Recruiting Board's scheme as it stood "was not the best method of securing men. A resolution, proposed by 'Mr. Hackworth, "That a committee be formed to carry,out the personal canvase," was lost. • Roseneath. There were only eight present at tho .meeting, held in the Roseneath School. 'Mr; T. ; Ward presided. It was decided not to_ set up a committee at once, but to wait for a later and larger, meeting. The following; resolution was passed. "IJh.at this meeting is .of opinion that itte system of recruiting, having had a fair trial in the Dominion and failed, we now suggest to the Government that it frame and pass into law a. Bill making military service compulsory." 5 Mount Cook. . The meeting at Mount Cook was held In the Mission Hall, Webb Street. Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., occupied the chair. The chairman introduced the business and invited the Rev. Knowles Smith to speak.. Mr.: Smith, was well received. It iyas resolved;that the meeting form itself. into .a 1 .subcommittee to canvass the_Mount-Cook;school district for recruits' for the Expeditionary Forcea. i Newtown. The meeting at tho Newtown Schoolroom- was enthusiastic and well-attend-ed.by both sexes. Councillor Barber was voted to the oliair. The gathering Was addressed by the Mayor (Mr. J. i P. Lnke), and Colonel Porter and Major Firth, of ;tho National Reserve. Following the speakers, a" discussion ensued. Finally the following resolution was Sasscd "That all present resolve to o all in their power to promote the recruiting of eligible young men, and further form themselves into a committee to give effect to the foregoing resolution." On the motion of Mr. Luke the meeting formed a committee, of ■which Messrs. Barber and Beck were elected chairman and secretary respectively. The committee discussed the matter of the campaign, and it was de- ■ cided to make a personal canvass of all the streets, in their' district to effect tho desire of the Recruiting Board.