RECRUITING

Southland Times, Issue 17662, 21 February 1916, Page 6

RECRUITING

THE NEW SCHEME. SMOOTHING OUT DIFFICULTIES. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON. February 19. \s a result of the City Recruiting Committee’s meeting last evening a deputation consisting of the Mayor, Dr Newman, M.F., and Capt. Barclay (Recruiting Officer), waiter upon the Minister for Defence this morning. The Mayor said there was a feeling that they could not do much in the way of recruiting until the badges which the Government intend issuing wore served out, because they might be asking men to enlist who had returned and were in Civilian clothes, or men wdio had been exempted for various reasons. The Mayor also asked if there could not be some system devised by which a man soon as he signed a recruiting card, could bo held to his obligation. He quoted instances given at the meeting last evening where out of seventeen men who had signed the recruiting cards only two turned up.

Capt. Barclay said that speaking roughly 50 men had been lost in ellington because they had not been sworn In right away and sent to camp. Dr Newman urged that if the Government made an announcement that next session they would have the War Pensions Act altered so as to give the pensions by right to dependnts it would have an enormous effect upon recruiting. , a The Minister in reply expressed the earnest desire to do all he could to help In these matters. In regard to the badges they were now in course of manufacture, and would bo ready for issue next week. He could see a certain amount of difficulty ahead in the distribution of the badges. There would be no difficulty in tracing returned soldiers nor those who had already enlisted and were ready for service, but exempted men would not be so easy to find. They would want the help of local recruiting committees in thise matter. As to securing all men who signed the attestation cards, the scheme we had hero was the one adopted in regard to Kitchener's Army. He was perfectly certain he could produce evidence that the recruiting system we had here was the soundest in the British Empire; and that other portions of the Empire had adopted it. Captain Barclay’s own statement that only 40 or 30 men out of 2000 or 3000 enrolled in Wellington could not be found was evidence of the soundness of our scheme, and those few men also might have meanwhile enlisted elsewhere. If a man was enlisted immediately he put his name down the Government would be morally bound to employ him or pay him 4s a - day soldiers' allowance. Some men who signed and then did not bother to answer the call would never be reached except under a scheme of compulsion. Mr Allen also impressed upon the deputation the responsibility there was to the industries of the country to keep men employed until called upon to go Into camp. Under the new recruiting scheme the- men put their names down for specific reinforcements or agree to 'be called up at 14 days’ notice. They then know when they would be called upon. This would avoid the present trouble of having men waiting about. He said that if there were men for infantry waiting he would send them to camp right away. If they came from other districts they could enlist here for those districts. He would also stop the practice of sending men elsewhere to enlist with other battalions if it was going on. A man’s papers could be sent on instead. He would relieve that trouble. The Minister also said that when in Canterbury he would inquire, and see if the statement was correct that out of 350 men who had passed the doctor at Christchurch 179 were missing when called up. He found the statement hard to believeIMPORTANT CONCESSIONS. WELLINGTON, February 19. Replying to a deputation from the local Recruiting Committee, the Hon. J. Allen said he would give instructions that men who had come into town expecting to be called up for the infantry shall be sent into camp without delay. He will also give instructions that if men In one district desire to enlist in another district they may do so without having to leave the district they are rertlidfng in.