RECRUITING SLACK

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9257, 26 January 1916, Page 5

RECRUITING SLACK

CAUSE AND CUBE CONSIDERED. The number of r&cruits enrolled at the recruiting office at the Town Hall Up to 6 p.tn. yesterday was 1857. To a representative of the “New Zealand Times” Captain Barclay, the officer in charge, confessed that ho was disappointed with that total. . “I take it,” he said, ‘‘that it is the natural result of the premature taking of the AVar Census by the Government. Men who have put themselves down as willing to servo when called upon are many of them, wo find, waiting till they are called upon; and some are surprised and disgusted that they have not yet been called up. A man came in last night, for example, and asked us i ‘AVhen am I going to bo called up ?’ AVe inquired, of course, if he had yet enlisted, and he replied, T put myself down on the Government card as willing to serve aa an ambulance man, as I have had previous experience and am an expert in that line. I stated that on the card, but they haven’t called me up.’ ” This case is typical of many others. '‘We ware told,” added Captain Barclay, ‘‘that this new recruiting scheme would soon get under way, and that would make a great difference. But so far, judging by'results at least, they have done little or nothing.” Captain Barclay hoped that the matter would soon bo energetically taken in hand ; and, in reply to a question by the “Times” representative, stated that one difficulty, especially with married men and with single men with parents or others dependent on them, was the inadequacy of the allowances for dependents and the fact that those allowances wore not given them as a matter of right, without any “Bumblelike * inquisition” as to their private moans, earning-power, etc.