RECRUITING WEEK

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4806, 5 July 1939, Page 5

RECRUITING WEEK

ANOTHER 55 WANTED IN TE • KUITI. ! DEPUTATION TO MAYOR. BRINGING REGIMENT TO FULL STRENGTH. The deputation, consisting of representatives of the R.S.A., the Legion of Frontiersmen, the N.Z. Defence League and the Waikato Regiment, which waited upon the Mayor, Mr. H. T. Morton, last evening, urging him to institute a recruiting week in Te Kuiti, found that the Mayor had already this matter under consideration. As a result of correspondence with the Mayor of Auckland, Sir Ernest Davis, on this matter, he had proposed to call a meeting’to consider defence questions early next week. Messrs. J. J. Davison, and J. R. Wilson represented-, the R.S.A., Messrs. W., W. Horne and J. T. K. Dodds the League of Frontiersmen, Mr. W. A. Lee the Defence League, and Major E. M. Mackrsey the Waikato Regiment.

. Major Mackersey suggested to Mr. Morton that a public meeting should be called with-the object of organising a recruiting week in Te Kuiti, on the same lines as that held in Auckland, and was proposed in Hamilton, Te Awamutu and other centres. The Waikato Regiment, pointed out Major Mackersey, was now to go back to its full peace strength of 700 men. The number of men required from Te Kuiti would be 100, and at the present time there were 22 men in the territorials and 23 enrolments, so that a further 55 enrolments were still required to make up the three ’machine gun platoons. ’ in Te Anga a total of 36 recruits were joining up, and thirty recruits were wanted at Te Anga and Pio Pio. Mr. Dodds said that the Legion of Frontiersmen would do all in its power, to secure recruits for the regiment, as it was essential to have a strong defensive force in Te Kuiti. The Waikato regiment, he pointed out, had made a great name for itself in Gallipoli and France.

Speaking on behalf of No. 1 troop of Frontiersmen, Mr. Horne said that all its members were over military age, but there were two machine gun crews in the troop, and a few were ready to take instructions with the territorials. Mr. Davison said that the R.S.A. felt strongly on the question of defence, and had given the young men a lead by over 90 per cent, of their ranks volunteering for home service. Feeling that active steps were necessary to encourage the enlistment of youth, the R.S.A. were prepared to stand behind any scheme to bring the regiment up to its local strength. Mr. J. R. Wilson endorsed these remarks.

Mr. Lee felt that the young "man, in the interests of himself and of his country, should offer himself for training. The Defence League would assist in any way it could in the recruiting week suggested.

.Mr. Morton said that he had already had in mind the calling of a public meeting on the defence issue early, next week, and he felt that arrangements might be made for the recruiting week then. A general discussion on this question followed, in which the necessity for the attendance of men of military age at such a meeting was stressed. At Sir Andrew Russell’s meeting, it was recalled, the large audience had been composed only of older men. In spite of this 23 enrolments had resulted from Sir Andrew’s visit.

Tentative arrangements for the meeting were then discussed.