EQUALITY OF THE BALLOT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14243, 10 March 1917, Page 5

EQUALITY OF THE BALLOT.

A TIMA..U CHARGE REPLIED TO

iTROM AUCKLAND

A Prfess Association niessage from Tiniaru stated: Speaking at the conference between Mr 3. A. Frostick, of Christchtirch, » member of the National Efficiency Board} and farmers, Mr J. Auste.v, M.P-. for Waitaki, complained that the agricultural districts were not being fairly treatad in the ballot, compared with the cities. He gave some figures, whioh Mr Frostick said he would place before the Government statistician. ''The wprst sinner of the lot in this respect," J?a : .d Mr Anstey, "is Auckland. There were 9-54 eligibles and only 2b_ were drawn in the last ballot — little ■nlore than half the number that should have been drawn tliere. In {South Canterbury there were 2791 eligibles and 121 were "dl-afr" ; in North Canterbury, 1575 and 307; and in North Otago, 1304 and 834. ; Ho suggested that the Whole of the next draft alio^ld come f torn the four cities. ". t . Speaking in reference to tlie statement •made by Mr J.. Anstey, the Mayor -of Auckland- (Mi' J- f . Gunson) staffed that Auckland liad nothing to.jtaju* by comparison with other centres, nor by any vjuvsidrtratdou of its recruitUig. Tlie explanation of the relatively small number of men it had been necfessary to secure from Auckland by ballot was to be found iu thc fact that Auckland's ' Voluntary recruiting had been so Well maintained. -.Where Auckland for the last ballot only showed a shortage oi sixteen Jilell, other centres were short in considerably greater numbers. Tlie question, therefore, was not the number of men who were being drawn by hallot from Auckland, but the. number of men Auckland had provided by the volunteer principle. Reference to the quotas as allocated to the- various recruiting groups in the Dominion showed. that Auckland easily headed the li«t with a monthly quota of 301, whereas the next highest in the Dominion wps pohgideraWy shprt of this figure,, so >that Auckland was carrying relatively the same responsibility in the matter of men as other centres of the Doiiiinion, and probably more. Als another instance of .the manner in which Auckland had oome to the front in the matter of supplying men, it might be mentioned, continued Mr Gunson, that the quota which closed on Saturday was made up by 230 volunteers, leaving only tha number of 70 to be provided by ballot. Instead of reflecting upon Auckland, the smaller number of balloted men it had been necessary to provide in Auckland should rather be a matter for congratulation, inasmuch as the voluntary principle had. been so frell maintained. "The quotas are levied by, the Department, I underatand," gaid Mi* Gunson, "on the basis of the number of men in the first division, and the large number .of men in Auckland in this division accounts far the relatively large monthly, quota which until recently haa always been filled ,by tbe voluntary system. . In other -words, the fact tliat the ballotj to wlrch Mr Anstey referred in South: Canterbury was necessary for 121 men, shows that the men down there are not volunteering, and that it is necessary to a greater extent than in Auckland to. enforce the ballot. It is ,a question, lioweyer," Mr Gunson concluded, "in regard to which there should be no invidious comparisons. The whole object of Auckland, a»<« it is no doubt in other centres, is to do its share, and that is what we are endeavoring to do' to the best of our ability."