NELSON RECRUITING COMMITTEE.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14165, 16 August 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

NELSON RECRUITING COMMITTEE.

AI>PUECIATIVE LETTKU FROM Tl-lE PREMIER.

(From "The Colonist," July 20.)

A meeting of the Nelson District Recruiting Committee was held in the Council Chambers on Saturday evening. There was'a fair attendance of members, and Mr. F. G. Gibbs was j-oted to the chair. Apoloacies were sent by Mr. H. R. Duncan (chairman) irad Dr. Gibbs. '

A letter was received from the chairman of the Recruiting Board (Right Hon. W. F. Massey), stating that ho had read Mr. SidfoKVs report "with lruch iutercst and pleasure." -'It constitutes," added the Premier, "a splendid record of work loyally and cheerfully undertaken and most faithiully and successfully carried to completion. The Recruiting Board is very greatly indebted to the members of your association and to your secretary and organiser for the valuableservices rendered to the Si ale in this Lime of crisis. Please acer-pl, and convey to your fellow-workers the obligations of the Board and its appreciation of the work done. Your district has sbojm its'patriotism in the-most practical way, and its achievement in the number of recruits secured' and • the perfecting of the roll of eligible men is one to be proud of. Your work has also beenjenosi; helpful, inasmuch as it has demonstrated so conclusively to other local bodies throughout the Dominion tlie value of the board's scheme if actively and sympathetically taken in hand." .

Mr._ J D. Gray, .secretary of the Recruiting Board, also wrote appreciating the "fine work done in connection with the recruiting scheme," and stating that "if the Board had'only received in every district ali over the Dominion the same loyal and able assistance that has been" given it by your association there would have been very little .need * for compulsory legislation for very many mouths to come/-'

The organiser reported that he had handed in 566 registrations to the Defep.ee Department. The^ treasurer (Mr. W. Lock) presented a .statement of accounts/which snowed that the committee had re"'^I ed £ 259 2s Bd--. and had expended *2y.3 17s id. Of thj reooints £12 2s represented private- donations, and"the baiance came from public bodies. Of the expenditure £65 was paid r<j the organiser, £204 13s to the "canvassers and £12 4s for travelling expenses' There was a credit balance of"£s 5s 4d, and a few small accounts to come in. The following report by the treasurer accompanied the balance-sheet: "The cost of prepji.-Ing a complete roll tn all tne eligible men in tho district has considerably exceeded the- amount at irst anticipated hv tuc, committee, the members then behur of the opinion that this could bo accomplished within a period of about six weeks. Howover, it was soon found that to carry out tne undertaking in a thoroughly sati>fatcory manner (as has beei« done hv tne. organiser and the staff of returned soldiers working under him) would involve a great- amount of effort, it v/as therefore three months before the wurk ivas completed. The cost has indeed been very reasonable for a work of such magnitude and importance, and the committee was fortunate in secur*

ing tae services of a" capable organiser at a cost- of £65 for hit? three months' work. Thanks are due to those who nave contributed to. the cost of the

. especially to the Wairaoa •bounty Council, Nelson City Council, nud other councils in the- district these bodies having agvoed to pay to-' warns the cost of the reeruitin« scheme, on the same basis m thov oorTxribute to the J^Ovipitai and charitable aio Hnti it not been for wich finnnc>ai ass^cunre the work cou'H no1- hpve bet'ii carried cut ia an efficient or lactory manner. The result of tho effort h:is already been published.'' ~Nr W. W. Snodgrass .riOved, "That m cbe event, of tW Government refunding tne amount spent en roen^tino- to local boriios, the said IxxJies be alked to allow tue amounts given to remain ■m the narids of the- committo© for fatnre work."—Carried unanimously. A rrsnlnt'on Va s passed espressin^ approcmtmn of ami ptwinff on record ttu^ goc-n «f«-v-if;o sre'irioivrd by Mr 4. E Hedg,-s ns soenjtary, Mesws. Gibbs, l,ock ana Snod^ross speaking to tia resolution. Mr. HmT^s thanked tho members fov their Icind oswressions nKarclmg lus services

canvass