RECRUITING

Southland Times, Issue 17830, 6 September 1916, Page 5

RECRUITING

Till-: 21st REINFORCEMENT. DOMINION SHORTAGE 796. The chairman of the Recruiting Board supplier! us with tlio following statement last evening:—The official figures of the enlistments for the infantry for the 21st Reinforcements, which mobilises for training during the last week of September, and which figures include the shortages for the 20th Reinforcements, were u.s follows as at date of Friday, September I: Group No. 1, Auckland, shortage It. No. 2, Paeroa, shortage 2T. No. .2, Whangarei, shortage 27. No. 4, Hamilton, shortage 62. Total shortage for Auckland military district, 140. No. 5, Wellington, shortage 64. No. 6, Palmerston North, shortage, lIS No. 7, Napier, shortage 66. No. 7a, Masterton, shortage 52. No. S, Hawera, shortage 84. Total shortage for Wellington military district, 384. No. 9, Christchurch, shortage 30. No. 10, Timarti, shortage 31. No. 11, Kaiapoi, surplus 18. No. 11a, Grcymouth, shortage 67. No. 12. Nelson, shortage 5. Total shortage for Canterbury military district, 115. No. 13, Dunedin, shortage 46. No. 14, Invercargill, shortage 62. No. 15, Oamaru, shortage’ 34. No. 16, Milton, shortage 15, Total shortage for Otago military district, 157. Total Dominion shortage, 790. MEMBERS' OF SHIRKING KAMI DIES. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, September 5. As the result of a conference attended by the Minister of Defence,, local officials, and the Mayor of Auckland, the Mayor announces that the provisions of the Act for pressing into active service members of shirking families will be brought into operation for filling the first shortage of the reinforcement-draft after the 16th inst. MEN FOR FUTURE DRAFTS. VOLUNTARY EFFORTS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED, . AUCKLAND, September 5. Referring to the question of future reinforcement drafts the Minister of Defence remarked that at the present time there are probably enough men of the first division in the country to keep up our reinforcements for the next seven or eight months. He emphasised that those who want to see New Zealand fulfil her obligations, and those who want to escape compulsion and witness the triumph of the voluntary system in the Dominion, must use every effort In their power towards getting all our reinforcement drafts filled up. "The recruiting committees,” said Mr Allen, “have done very good work In the past, and if they keep going and are joined by other workers I have no doubt Of their success in getting men without applying compulsion. There are plenty of men to come, and there should not bo any difficulty in securing enough men for the next few months. Recruiting committees are just in that stage now that they have got a grip of things, and must keep going. The same remark applies to New Zealand as elsewhere. If the numbers are kept up there is no doubt about the finish.”