MEN WANTED.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 17030, 3 December 1915, Page 9

MEN WANTED.

RECRUITING PROBLEM.

POSITION SERIOUS IN CANTERBURY.

ENLISTMENTS FALLING Ol^F

The position in regal'd to the filling up of the Eleventh Reinforcements, which aro to go into camp on December 14, has been made clear by a mass of statistics from Wellington, but it may bo as well, in view of the importance of the matter, to recapitulate briefly what has been already published so far as this province is concerned. Last Saturday, when the weekly “stocktaking” was accomplished, Canterbury was short of her infantry quota by 413, and required about 45 men to make up her mounted quota. Canterbury's figures last week (ending November 27) showed a considerable improvement on those of previous weeks. Her percentage of the Dominion quota, based on population, is 24.8, but though last week was an exceptionally good one, judged by local standards, it was over 6 per cent short of what it would have been for that week had tho necessary rate of enlistments been maintained. DISAPPOINTING RETURNS EXPECTED. One of the two weeks which remained to Canterbury to fill her quota when tho above figures were prepared has now nearly finished, and though no definite figures can be obtained until this week’s official statement is available, there are indications that the statement for this week, so far as Canterbury is concerned, will be a very disappointing ono. There has been a marked falling off in applications at the C.D.O. recruiting bureau, which registered only thirteen names on Wednesday and only five yesterday. TWENTY-THREE MEN A DAY WANTED. Canterbury, to fill her quota, lias to enlist approximately GOO infantry and 70 mounted men in the period between November 27 and December 14, allowing a 50 per cent discount for men rejected as medically unfit. The proportion of enlistments in Christchurch to those in other parts of the province has, in the past, been about 2 to 3, so that Christchurch finds About 40 per cent of the Canterbury quota. On that basis Christchurch, in the 12 recruiting days loft open for tho filling of the Eleventh Reinforcements, should have enrolled an average of about 23 men a day in the infantry and mounted branches of the service along, and that this rate lias not been maintained during tho present week seems practically certain.

AN OVERHEARD CONVERSATION. A feature of the recruiting problem which introduces a new difficulty is the disposition of some of the men, passed as medicallv fit, to refuse to answer the call on December 14, preferring to spend their Christmas holidays in mufti. A reporter who paid a visit to the C.D.C. recruiting bureau last evening to get some information regarding the recruiting market, overheard a conversation which was extremely illuminating. It requires no explanatory notes. A young man presented himselt at the counter and the following dialogue ensued :

Young Man: T want you to take my name off the roll, please. Ive had a notice to report myself on December 14, and 1 was told when I went up for medical examination that I wouldn’t he wanted till the middle of January. C.D.O. Officer: 1 can’t take your name off the roll. That has nothing to do with us. Young Man: Qh, well, it doesn’t matter. 1 can stay away, and enlist again later on. C.D.O. Officer: What’s the trouble? Why do vou want your name taken off? , . , , . Young Mnn: Well, you see, it s this way. I don’t want to get away till after tho holidays. I want to go homo and see my people. C.D.O. Officer: Don’t you think you’re rather selfish? Those chaps in the trenches don’t have any Christmas holidays, and they want your assistance. Young Sian: Well, you see, I didn t think they would need mo till January. The doctor told me that, and so did one of .the officers. Besides, my mate has to have his teetli fixed up, and he can’t get away till January. DENTAL DELAYS. The reference to the mate who “ had to have his teeth fixed up ” was another indication of the difficulties that lie in the way of filling up the quota. The dental department at Christen inch Hospital has been doing yeoman service in this respect, but its resources are overwhelmingly overtaxed, and men have to bo referred to private practitioners. and unavoidable delays occur.. The C.D.O. officers state that the dental difficulty add the desire of men to remain out of camp until after the holidays are two .factors which are very seriously militating against filling the" quota, for the Eleventh. The aversion to camp at Christmas-time is responsible, in their opinion, for many young men putting off the decision to enlist as Christinas looms near, while it will mean, as has already been indicated, that a proportion of the men already enrolled will fail to answer the call on December 14. THE OBVIOUS REMEDY.

“ "What is the remedy for this state of affairs? What do you suggest?” asked the reporter of a gentleman who has been putting his heart and soul into the recruiting campaign for many months past “A local camp,” ns the prompt reply. ‘.‘lf we had a local camp men could not play fast and loose with the recruiting office, and the delays caused by waiting for dental treatment could be counteracted, the men receiving training in the interval of waiting. A local camp would assure Canterbury's quota.” CHRISTCHURCH AREA. TWENTY-FIVE ENLISTMENTS YESTERDAY. There were twenty-five enlistments yesterday for service with the Reinforcements. The names are as follow : Alfred Charles Robert Perrin, journalist, Tare " Press ’’ Office, Christchuich —Infantry. Frank Williams, clerk. 303 Worcester Street —lnfantry. Francis' Stevens, clerk, 103, Worcester Street —lnfantry. William Syr.ie, inspector, " Pjess ” Co. — Mounted. Joint William Newman, plumber, S 7, Caledonian Road—lnfantry. Reuben Valentine Morgan, tuner, King Street, Rangiora—Ambulance. William Millward Grafton, labourer, 141, King Street. Sydenham—lnfantry. Victor Richmond Collett, accountant, 20, Chancellor Street, Shirley—lnfantry. Charles Gashell, horse trainer, Eussley Road —lnfantry. Charles O'Malley, labourer, G.P.0., Christchurch—lnf an try. William Dempsey, laundry worker, 39, Mackworlh Street—lnfantry. James A. Milne, engine driver, Ho, Linwood Avenue—Samoa. Matthew J. Woodward, retired, 530, Tttam Street—Samoa. Hastings W. Washer, clerk, 222, Peterborough Street —Ambulance. Thomas Malloy, labourer, care Mrs White, Lyttelton—lnfantry. Harold X. Day, gunner, It.X.Z.A. Barracks —Artillery. j Duncan Mack ay, seaman, 5, Dampier’s Bay Road—lnfantry.

Samuel W. Maishmann, farm labourer—lnfantry. Alfred Colenso, seaman, 23, Quinn's Bond, Shirley—lnfantry. Arthur J. Le Cren, land salesman, 73, Gray Ro*d, Tima.ru—Samoa. ■ Charles E. IWcrakcr, demonstrator, Canterbury College—Ambulance. William Patterson, clerk, care Patten and Pifcaithly—lnfantry. Francis T. Paterson, engineer, 217, Linwood Avenue—lnfantry. William Charles .Tago labourer, 85, Princc’B Street, Woolston—lnfantry, Cbandos Hoskyns, miner, Upper Eiccarton —lnfantry.

ELEVENTH REINFORCEMENTS

SHORTAGE OF INFANTRY

DEPARTMENT'S URGENT APPEAL. [Per Press Association.] WELLINGTON, December 2.

An urgent appeal was issued by the Defence authorities to-day for the balance ot‘ the men required for tho infantry of the Eleventh Reinforcements. The position is stated to be giving the Department grave concern, because, if the men are not raised immediately the matter will be serious.

It has been represented that the reason for the present hanging back is that eligible men do not wish to spend tho Christmas and New Year holidays in camp, but if this is true, the authorities consider that it can only be duo to the failure of Now Zealand’s manhood to understand the urgency of the call.

The statement proceeds:—“One thousand men are wanted to register at once to make up the (iOO balance required for the infantry of the Elevenths going into camp on December 11. If the.se men are not forthcoming by the required date it will mean that New Zealand for the first time has failed to fulfil the definite pledge given to the Imperial Government and, more than that, wo will have failed in our duty to our own force in the field by not maintaining them up to tho full strength required. It has been suggested that the numbers might easily bo mado up after Christmas. So they might, but that involves serious consequences, as if the draft is to receive the full period of training arranged it follows that it will depart at a •late date. That, in other words, means that it will arrive at the front behind due, time, with what consequences no one can foretell. But this is by no means the most serious aspect of the question. A more grave matter is that, if the Eleventh is a fortnight or three weeks late behind scheduled time in leaving, tho departure of subsequent drafts will be delayed in proportion, the reason being that the timetable for the transports has been so narrowed down that.they cannot get back in time to fulfil future engagements. There remain two alternatives:— (1) To send the Elevenths away seriously short. (2) If the draft is made up later to send a very considerable number away only partially trained at the due date.

The objections to the first alternative have already been dealt with. The second would mean that not onlv would a large number of men depart not fully trained, but the efficiency of the whole draft would suffer as a result. Under these circumstances, the authorities appeal with confidence to the eligible men of New Zealand to fill up the ranks at once.

AUCKLAND QUOTA COMPLETE. [Per Press Association-.] AUCKLAND, December 2. Auckland lias completed its quota of GO2 men for the Eleventh Reinforcements, to leave on December 14. The quota includes 410 infantrymen, 98 mounted riflemen and 89 in other branches. Having made up its quota for the Elevenths, Auckland still has a surplus of 400 in all branches to form the nucleus for the Twelfth Reinforcements. The last three days’ registrations ■total sixty-nine men.