NEW ZEALAND FORGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16020, 11 September 1915, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND FORGES.

SYSTEM OF RECRUITING. "; AUCKLAND'S POSITION. 1 s — —__• '■'-■ V/.STATEMENT BY TEE MINISTER.' ->flf [BT TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL COEBESPOXDEST.] . \ \% Wellington-, Friday. The Auckland allegations regarding in. ~ -:X equality in regard to recruiting between '■'-% the North and the South were referred to 'H in the House of Representatives to-day ? when Mr. C. H. Poole (Auckland West) A, asked the Minister for Defence if he would make a statement on the subject. ; Mr. Poole read a statement published ■* in Auckland that the recruiting 0 f the reinforcements was unsatisfactory. Practically every contingent from Dunedin had had to be reinforced from Auckland, the quota system having failed in the South. He desired the Minister to make an official statement regarding the descrepancy oi enlistments in the South as compared with tha North, The Hon. J. Alien, in reply, said that the quota system as originally introduced was not fair, because it was cot based oa the number of young men between the ages of 20 and 90 in each military district. The Department had no means of getting these numbers till the census was ; taken. He believed that there were fewer men of military age in the South than in the North. He did not know whether the North Island wanted these men. If $ did not the South Island would be glad to have them back, and then it could make up its quota. Men were invited to register -in every district, and the anota was mias up on the basis of the resist ration. To" j say that there were more willing men in tht> North than in the South was absolutely incorrect. (Hoar, hear.) He believed the men in the South were quite as willing as those in the North, and made quite as good soldiers. (Apphuse*. But if Auckland were repining because of ■ the strain on its resources it had its cure " ' Not so many men need re sister, but was he to understand that Auckland did not want its men to register. He did not believe it. Mr. Poole : We want fair nlay all round. Mr. Allen: The South is willing to bear its fair share of the burden. I hope the hon. gentleman will not be influenced by •what appears in the Auckland newspapers. RECRUITING IN OTAGO. PUBLIC MEETING ARRANGED. MR. PARR TO SPEAK. [BY TELEGRAPH.SPECIAL COBBXSPOXBEST.] WzixcrGTOJr, Friday. The Hon. Dr. McNab, Minister for J.a- - Itice, and Mr. C. J. Parr, C.M.6., M.P., j will proceed South from Wellington by .; ! to-morrow night's steamer and at the in- ' vitaon of the Dunedin Recruiting League they will address a public meeting at • Dunedin on Monday evening. AUCKLAND' RECRUITS. ;i ]-J' REINFORCEMENT DRAFTS. M S MORE MEN ACCEPTED. fiM A medical examination of recruits for ' the reinforcements of the New Zealand"v.: ' Expeditionary Force was held at the Drill - :;' ' Hall yesterday morning. Thirty-five men '■'- '# J were examined, and the following 25 were i passed as fit:— v »2 ._.> .-■■■* ,-a-r Martin R. Butler, f ¥MJO-L.. ' '." * :: ;i ■?. Harold D. Blake, Church' Road, Epsonv *; / Thomas A- Bishop, TitirangL, • -' *' ~'r's--G. Brigat, Avondale. . -,-; -"< "' : - : James E. Boag. 67, Ardmore Road. - ; : = Onslow R. Clark, care Robertson Brothers. Joseph . Cowan, care Seamen and Fin- •: Js men's Union. Y »-• / ■ ;- John H. W. Cooper, Birkenhead. ' " '■■, >i 4^ J i William J.-Cuthbertson; Onehnnga. " j^Tfi ' William CondelL New Lynn.?,. ' ?SJll Harry Clarke, Edendale Road. ' -v" s Ernest D. Carswell, care G.P.0., Auckland. X^' ':? ; Cecil T. Deverick, 9, Arnold' Street.' Edward I. Fenton, 17, Church Street. .-, -: Samuel C. Ferrety Mount St. John Avenue, " i'Arthur T. Gill, 6, Anglesea Street. -■rK" Selwyn G. Moyes, Mount Albert. •' Alexander Morrow, Victoria Avenue, John Murphy, care Seamen and Firemen**^"'»-'. Union. j - _ James McVey, care Seamen and Firemen's - Union. .-■■'». ' John M Pine, 7, Graham Street*- ' - Charles M. Robertson, Ho wick. - <X Charles M. Smith, Wolseley Street. -- " Mark W. Thompson, 27, Graham Streets I i Alexander Urquhart, Birkenhead. ' "p^SjM '' MAORI SOLDIERS. Jlf COMPLETING DRILL AT CAMP.

LEAVE AUCKLAND NEXT WEEK.* ; The Maori camp at Narrow Neck is now complete, the installing of a system of hot- ~Xy: water shower baths being the finishing }'"., touch in the arrangements for the comiort and cleanliness of the men. Further addi- Vi : , r . tions will be "the building of a common _ dining-hall and a hospital The latter is'.•_-.""*;"' nearly completed, while the site of the dining-hall has been pegged out. All the , "; drainage is complete, a high, iron fence-til;-, has been erected on the roadside, and the v _r new entrance and drive laid out and "'.•.,;. metalled. While the camp has been converted from a M " collection of tents on a windy slope into its ¥;if present trim and workmanlike appearance, . .: } the training of the soldiers of the second f_ Maori contingent has been progressing. I- " The once raw countrv Maori lads have ; -•*.: become smart and soldierly. The result, ,r~fj in addition to making them soldierly, has ;> = been to produce cheerful, hardy officers : 7 and men, for whom no day's work can be r ';•?;-.' too hard. " ' %$* The golf grounds at Narrow Neck are ' *, , the scene, every day, of evolutions and-.*.- ' exercises in mimic warfare, in which the ■' A ., soldiers show zest and intelligence. -.3 one place squads of men in khaki and. * ' blue denims, thrust and stamp at bayonet -J££ drill, the officers and non-commissicraed -.? •*' officers paying close attention to see that * each man learns correctly. J-\ .. Across a wide area of ground, inter- '* sected by ditches and depressions, and dotted with tussocks, other narties of men : f rush one by one from cover to cover. *.-,'. Other squads rush forward in sections to fall like stones at a whistle-calL For an ' . instant there will be no movement on the - links, save where the bayonet-fighters are. •"' Only patches of blue denim are seen on the wide expanse— khaki blends well with the grass and sand. Then a hundred men spring to their feet, ran hard, and drop like stones again. The click and rattle of rifle-locks and triggers tells of mimic aim and shot rapidlv taken and delivered, ere thev rush on again. *';_• A second issue of clothing, helmets, boots, badges, and brass titles was nwde yesterday to every man in camp, all those on leave having returned to duty. The contingent will leave for Wellington by * train on Friday next, September 17. PYRAMUS IN ACTION. AUCKLANDER WOUNDED. ( g t [BT TELEGRAPH.PRES3 ASSOCXATTOK.] CV;Whjjxgtox, day. f~ ; An official telegram has been received ; intimating that Harold T. Blooicfield. able ;; : m/.;j seaman, official number ANFI6I7. of''.;^.- : - H.M.S. Pyramus, was wounded In action on September 9. His next- of kin is his mother. Mrs. Elizabeth Bloomfield, - Moorens Villa, Auckland. As far as a \ known, his wounds are not dangerous. -'_ Gigantic clearance of boots and shoes _ at Pearson's Boot Stores, Newton.