TO-NIGHT'S MEETINGS

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 93, 19 April 1916, Page 8

TO-NIGHT'S MEETINGS

THE NEED FOR THE WORK ; AN APPEAL TO CITIZENS. An earnest appeal is made'to citizens to attend the public meetings to be held in the various public schools in and about Wellington to-night for the purpose of instituting a vigorous recruiting campaign in the direction of the personal canvass. The extreme urgency of the work is shown in the fact that the delivering of patriotic speeches at public meetings, which have not been attended by the men it was desired to appeal to, has been of little avail, the present position being that Wellington is much in arrear in carrying out her obligations. The 15th Reinforcements, which were called up a fortnight ago, are still 44 men short, while the registrations of men willing to go in with the 16ths a fortnight hence are so poor that the authorities are confronted with the prospect of a further serious shortage. For the- succeeding drafts the prospects are no brighter, as the men are not coming forward to fill them up. It is recognised, therefore, that there is only one course left open, if the Capital City is to carry out its part in common with the rest of the Dominion —by the institution of the personal 'canvass, which is the essence of the whole recruiting scheme, and was the be-all and end-all of the Derby recruiting scheme at Home. The personal canvass, moreover, is not only necessary to bring in recruits under the voluntary system; it is absolutely necessary for the completion and correction of the district rolls in order to enable any compulsory measure to be carried out. The work is thus of vital "importance. All should help in carrying it out. The task of personally interviewing men and asking them whether they are prepared to offer their services to their country is admitted to be not a pleasant one, but it is pointed out that there are many things these tunes which 'it is not pleasant to do. Those who are being asked to carry out this task.are men over military age and the women of the country. The position up to the present is that it has only been men of military age and their wives and families who have been making the sacrifices. The men who-have gone have given up their homes and positions, and many of them their lives. Is it too much, then, to ask those who cannot go to the front to put themselves to a little personal inconvenience in carrying out the canvass which is so. urgently necessary? The work is needed not only to fill up the gaps in Wellington's qiiota for the 15ths and 16ths, but also to see that sufficient men are secured to complete the drafts for at least six months' ahead. The assemblies to-night will be at the public schools of The Terrace, Te Aro, Wadestown, Brooklyn, Island Bay, Berhampore, South Wellington. Newtown, Maranui, Kilbirnie. Roseneath, Clydequay, also the Kelburn Training College, Thorndon Normal School, and the Hataitai Bowling Club's Pavilion. The Mount Cook district meeting will be held in the Central Mission Hall, Webb-street, instead of in the Mount Cook schoolroom, as previously announced. Ladies and members of the Reserve (both branches) who desire to help their country are specially invited. Arrangements . have been made for speeches to be delivered at the various meetings, and committees, will be appointed at each to carry out the campaign. The meeting of residents of the Kelburn and Northland districts, to be held at the Training College, Kelburn, will be presided over by the Hon. A. L. Herdman; Attorney-General, and that at Newtown by the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke).