RECRUITING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 96, 23 April 1940, Page 11

RECRUITING

NOT FAST ENOUGH

FEARS IN CHRISTCHURCH

NEW DRIVE PLANNED

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.

Nearly as many men as the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce Hall could hold assembled last evening, to examine reasons for .poor recruiting in Canterbury and to plan steps to stimulate it. Called by the Cnristchurch Recruiting Committee, : the meeting was representative of industrial, commercial, and sporting organisations. ■ . After a series of speeches, the whole meeting constituted itself a war effort committee pledged to make a fresh drive to stimulate recruiting and rouse Christchurch -to enthusiasm for the war effort. ' J ■ :

The War Effort Committee will examine suggestions advanced at the meeting to achieve its purpose. Typical suggestions were: That employers should release more of their staffs for the Army; that employers should let fit men with no genuine reason for hot signing up understand that they would lose their jobs if they did not; that children in the schools should go home and ask their brothers why they had not signed up* that marching feet were the best recruiting sergeants in the world; that more parades, of Burnham men should be held; that speeches of British statesmen on war issues should be circulated widely; and that an appeal should be made to intellect as well as to emotion.

. The only woman present, who disappeared as soon as the meeting was over, but whose name was given later as Mrs. Bennett, was greeted with-ap-plause when she ross to put her plea as a woman. ' y

Mrs. Bennett said that as a mother she knew young men's views. They wanted definite guarantees of security when they came back. They knew the empty ..promises given their fathers. They had shared starvation with their fathers after the last war. If they had assurance of security they would not be lax at this moment.