MORE RECRUITS WANTED

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 60, Issue 4233, 19 January 1940, Page 5

MORE RECRUITS WANTED

FROM SOUTH AUCKLAND AREA. 560 MEN IMMEDIATELY. PLANS FOR ACTIVE CAMPAIGN. In order to fill the ranks of the third echelon of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, the South Auckland zone of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Council will require to enlist 400 fit men. To obtain that total at least 560 enlistments would be necessary, commented the Mayor of Hamilton, Mr H. D. Caro, at a meeting of the zone executive in Hamilton on Wednesday, when the inauguration of a recruiting campaign was discussed. The meeting was held in response to a request made from the recruiting compaign. held in Hamilton last week, when an address was given by the chairman of the* .Provincial Council, Sir Ernest Davis, Mayor of Auckland. A decision was reached yesterday that the inter-one committees in the South Auckland one should be requested to take immediate 1 steps to launch an active recruiting campaign in their respective districts. TOWN QUOTAS. Continuing his outline of the zone’s quota of recruits, Mr Caro said that, calculated on a population basis, the quotas for the individual towns would be: Hamilton 288, Huntly 35, Cambridge 40, Ngaruawahia 25, Te Awamutu 40, Otorohanga 12, Te Aroha 43. Morrinsville 32. Te Kuiti 45. Total 560. “It is expected,” added Mr Caro, “that the men for the third echelon will be called up in about six weeks’ time, and in order to enable this to be done it will be necessary for the required enlistments to be obtained within a period of two or three weeks so that the military authorities will have sufficient time to have the men medically examined. You will appreciate, therefore, that the campaign must be commenced immediately in our respective districts.” METHODS OF CAMPAIGN. In order to guide the delegates in establishing a campaign in their own districts, Mr Caro outlined the proposals for Hamilton as follows: (1) Appointment of committees to attend dances, picture theatres, athletic meetings, etc. Speakers for these committees should be drawn from the Returned Soldiers’ Association, the army, the local bodies and similar organisations. The speakers should always be accompanied by a recruiting sergeant in full uniform. In the case of picture theatres it is suggested that the speech be given just before the interval and that the recruiting sergeant be stationed in the lobby of the theatre during that period. For recruiting speeches at sports gather, ings loud speakers can be used. (2) Personal canvassing of factories and workshops by trade union officials. If the trade union officials are prepared to co-operate'. rn the matter this method of approach should be particularly' effective asjt. means that direct contact will bp made with the men. -

(3) Display of films and posters. Provision of recruiting depots in the main thoroughfare on the late shopping night. (5) Band waggon tactics. This means the provision of platform band concerts or concert parties on large lorries accompanied by’ speakers and recruiting sergeants. These should operate iir main thoroughfares during lunch hours and the late shopping nights. In this connection a women's committee should be appointed to arrange the necessary concert parties. PARADES SUGGESTED. (6) Military displays. (7) Holding of public meetings. (8) Appropriate advertisements. (9) Recruiting barometer. The barometer should be in a prominent position and should show the objective of the particular area and the progress of the recruiting from day to day. (10 Placarded motor trucks. “There is no doubt,” said Mr Caro, “that the inter-zone committee will enter wholeheartedly into this campaign. It is felt that, with the active co-operation of the various organisations in each district,'we will obtain sufficient recruits for our quota of the third echelon and also for the reinforcements.” NGARUAWAHIA’S ATTITUDE. On behalf of the Ngaruawahia committee, Mr W. M. Paterson said his committee could not agree to assist in the recruiting compaign. He added that the committee did not consider it could ask any man to go to the front. It was definitely in favour of conscription. Mr W. C. Kennedy, chairman of the Piako County Council, was also in favour of conscription. Mr J. R. Fovf, of Hamilton, said there was a responsibility falling upon everyone. People who should know better w’ere advising young men not to enlist. Mr T. G. Reynolds, of Hamilton, expressed approval of conscription, but considered that while voluntary enlistment was Government policy the patriotic committees should do all in their power to assist recruiting will the voluntary system proved useless. CONSCRIPTION MUST COME. Mr Caro said the voluntary system had been successful up to date as two echelons had been send to camp .and he had nd doubt that the third would be secured. “Surely it is our duty' to ask men to volunteer,” he said. “The position has arisen that either democracy or dictatorship will rule, and surely that is something to be considered. The nation is not at war for fun, but for a purpose which is definite. If New’ Zealand can put a division in the field through voluntary enlistment it will have done something to assist the Empire cause.” “I think we all realise that in time conscription will have to come,” lie added. “Until then, however, i£ we can secure 25,000 to 30,000 recruits voluntarily, we will have done , our duty.” Mr Edgar James, Mayor of Cambridge, considered that one of the reasons why recruiting under the vol-

untary system had been so successful during the Great War was the existence then of a territorial army.