NOTES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 248, 19 October 1915, Page 5

NOTES.

Tlio Christchurch papers rej^ort that reqivating for the Ninth Reinforcements is still very slack, and no fewer .th= t n 1 50 infantry and 20 mounted men are required to complete the Chriisiehurch district quota, winch leaves for camp this week. In order to niakp. up ihe c-o"i«.iilo-ment of med.ieaJ officers lcquiretl i'or ■tin, remf^-cement drafts U. Jnh,« next, Dr Valintins, Direcioroor. r Atilitaiy Hospitals, anticipates that at l<Mst 70 doctors, will be wanted. Developments at present ur. \n eseen .i>ay necessitate a c«.ll upon the pj<> fession for 100 of its members bv.ib^.t time. .

'.The'-men•'■who enlist and back out ore ten times worse than the out-and-out shirker," declared LieutenantColonel Stoneham. at a recruiting meeting in Dunedin. 'We have h.t,d hundreds of men who have put their nan-es on the registration cards, or the name of somebody else, and'then failed to turn up for medical examination, or who turn up and are passed fit and let us see no more of them. Men of that kind are worse than shirkers. When once a man's name goa* down he should see.it through." The meeting .called by the DeputyMayor to make • arrangements^ for v '!Re'd Cross Dhy" on Thursday next, was held • last night, there being 27 ladies - and'-two men present. It was decided to make a, complete house-to-houso silver coin -collection, and' t« conduct a. sale in town at the Re<l Cross shop of sweets and commodities that might be donated. A strong committee of workers was set up, .a.n<l everything tends towards a most successful result.-

Tho' .section! :of 22 mounted men forming Marlborough's draft for the Ninth • Reinforcements gathering at Trentha.ni was accorded .an enthusiastic farewell in Market Pla<je this morning prior to its departure by train. The Territorial forces witli the Tenth Mounted Regimental -Band, and the National Reserve with its band, paraded for the occasion, and the general public aserobled in force to applaud tDie men who have offered their services to the .Empire. A number, of leading citizens occupied the rotunda, and speeches were made by the 'Deputy-Mayor (MY E. , C!. Parker), Mr R. McGallum, M.P., the Yen: Ar-cihdencon Graxie-, and Mr A. Wjffen. Tho departing contingent v.7as marched by the Territorial ami Reserve forces to the lhihvay station, ■where the memliors h?d to run :>■ valedictory gauntlet. The names c! the men -who took their departure were published .in yesterday's issue.

A laige number of Oerman vessels, *•■} ich were interned at various ports, have been, released by the Imperial authorities, and are now doing useful cvty as British merchantmen. the .4. and A. Line have secured six of these vessels, and the following stf.,iM-r-v. will shoitly load at New York for Xew Zealand "norts, coming via the Panama C;;nai:—Parattah Ccx Berlin). Ccrareo. (ex Altona'). Toiwineo. (ex Tibernious\ Talawa (ex "Wotnn), /raluen (ex Scharzfels), ?nd I'Xin-gari-a (ex Stolzenfels).