RECRUITING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16666, 11 April 1916, Page 3

RECRUITING NEWS

AFFAIRS IN WELLINGTON CENTRE.

THE PERSONAL CANVASS.

RECRUITS AND TtIEER BADGES.

(From Onn Own ConnESPONDEN't.) WELLINGTON. April 8. Recruiting in WoUiu&tou City goes on- at about tho s&ino slow pace that lias been the rule for some weeks— u pa.ee tliat is too slow to supply our quota at tho end of every lour-weekly period, when tho men should be ready lor camp, Tho Recruiting Committee has now como to the conclusion that "something must bo done"; but at this point unanimiiy seems to end. As a body, it still reserves to itself far too much right of individual judgment. It goes on disoußsinjj whether the Government's personal canvass scheme is a good one or. not; whether it is likely to be effective as to results, and so on. Some speak of the long dead issues of local camps and pensions by right. They have not in them the spirit of service. They do not consider it their duty to sink their own ideas or prejudices, and to act on the orders of the only leaders the people can follow. Everybody knows just as well as the Recruiting Committee that there will be more hard looks than halfpence for tho people who go about asking men to enlist; but the recruiting scheme provides for a good deal more than this personal solicitation. The chief purpose of it, in view of events which are sure to come, is the compilation of accurate rolls of the eligible men in thte community. It is well known that tho National Register was never complete, and, oven if it had been accurate to the last man, many men have changed their places of residence since the record was taken. These corrections must he made by somnbody at some time. Without such * a complete and reliable record it will not bo possible to put compulsory service into effect, and most of tho people who now withhold their aid do so 1 because, as they say, they believe that in conscription is tho only solution of our present problems. A meeting is being held on Monday, at which the executive will invite the aid of voluntary helpers to give the Government scheme a trial in Wellington. The unfortunate fact is that the public know well, from newspaper reports of injudicious committee discussions, that the executive members are not all in favour of the scheme. It is estimated that it will need 260 canvassers to caver the city in 10 days, and at an executive meeting last night a member of the committee talked of tlm cost in the event of those canvassers being paid, saying that it would be at least £1300. However,the committee has no present intention of hiring 1 canvassers, even if there were 260 suitable men disengaged and ready to do the .work. Another .member of the com- : mittee suggested that. the work could only be dono by returned soldiers, as they would be the only persons not likely to get rebuffs. Others havo it in mind that the canvass should be undertaken by women. The fact which will very soon b:come evident, if the work is ever seriously undertaken, is that many more than -260 workers will bo required, and that men as well as women will have to give much more time to it than they can conveniVntly spare. It is a very big task, and for many it is likely to prove an unpleasant and inglorious one. Up. till now it seems that the view of the average man and woman is something like this: "Tho work must be done, but it isn't my job." The committee is being roundly condemned by people who have no intention of helping. The Government cannot do this oanvassing, for tho public service has been drawn upon very heavily already. Nor will it be found that the returned soldiers have any appetite for this work. Those who are fit and well are in their own positions, and, in any case, they would, resent being given this very disagreeable duty at homo after having "done their bit" at the front. There are weaknesses here in the control of the actual registration of recruits. It has been announced repeatedly that no men are wanted for ambulance, A.S.C.; or artillery, but from day to day lists of recruits are published in which there are occasionally names of men accepted for these . over-subscribed branches. Very often ! there is a good explanation—that the men | have special qualifications for these I branches; but this never satisfies the man who follows after, and, without any special qualifications, demands admission to one or.: other of these branches. Consequently it has happened that men have refused to enter any other branch, and some of these i have been allowed to sign on for their own choice. The appeal now made to these men to transfer to the infantry is not meeting j with any response. Apparently these volun- ' teers aro willing to v/aifc a long* time—the longer the better.

"They're hard to shift, I toll- you; thcro are some waiting for the 29th Contingent, and then they won't go!" said an ofliocr of the Defence Department tho other day. "J/or f!i • lilu oi inL' ?i 1 ran't imagine why every young fellow is not keen to bo in it. It I'oiiii-s to this, that thero arc a good many ii;;i!;s, and it won't bo long before everyonr v,'i 1L know it. Of course, tho gentlcni;'.!! who enlists with tlio 29ths wants his badge right away. He is most eager to get his hiidgc. Hut those wlio are enlisting so far ahead that they arc out of sight do not got a badge. Badges are given only to men who .ire timed to go into oamp within six months. They are- the men who really want to go to the front, and who really deserve a protecting badge." In point of fact, the badges are not a protection to anybody, because they are not boinfj worn. Only the red armlet for returned men is at all in evidenoc. Scores of men havo khaki armlets in their pockets, hut I have not seen more than a dozori of them, probably not more than half a dozen actually being .worn. I have spen only one "unfit' badge worn, and no "exempted" badges. It would appear that tho demand for badges did not come from the mon they woro introduced to protect. '