NEW ZEALAND'S FORCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15824, 22 January 1915, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND'S FORCES

NEW RECRUITING SYSTEM.

NOW IX OPERATION

[by telegraph—press association-]

Dcnedix, Thursday,

The new system of recruiting for the reinforcement drafts for the expeditionary force has been approved by the Minister for Defence, and will now be put into operation.

The Minister for Defence, the Hon. J. Allen, stated to-day that the details of the system are purely technical, but that its aim is of general interest. " The principle of the system," Mr. Allen explained, "is to enable the Department to know exactly the numbers and localities of recruits available for service and to avoid the difficulty occasioned by recruits leaving their employment before being called upon to go into camp. The new system is devised to facilitate organisation and the training of periodical reinforcements and to maintain continuous recruiting without taking men from their work Jong before they can be trained at Trentham and despatched to join the main force.

" Provision will be made for a continuous flow of reinforcements. Only a certain number of recruits will then lie taken into camp at one time for training, but it is desired to know, accurately, where the men can be obtained for future drafts. It is not desired to take men from their employment before it is necessary. Men had been leaving their work and complaining because they have not been at once taken into camp. I recognise the difficulty several men have experienced as a. consequence. That difficulty need not be incurred."

The Minister added :—" The position now is this : The next two drafts of reinforcement, the third and fourth, is complete, and the fifth draft if nearly filled. Next month men for the fifth draft will be taken into ramp, but it is not desired that they shall leave their work until they are called upon. Under the new system cards will be. issued, and recruits will be able to inform the Department how much notice is required before leaving work." '

The Minister expressed pleasure at the results of the shipment of troops' horses to Egypt. Although the death-rate was remarkably low on the voyage, the most remarkable result was tho condition of the horses when landed. This had occasioned favourable comment.