SERIOUS SHORTAGE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144852, 2 December 1915, Page 2

SERIOUS SHORTAGE.

W WELLINGTON MILITARY DISTRICT. SLUMP IN INFANTRY IN TARANAKI. For the Eleventh Reinforcements, who are to go into camp on December 14, the Wellington Military District is required to find 778 men. On the boohs of the district are 1126 men fit and available for that force. On those figures it may seem that the Wellington District has ample men, but, according to The Dominion, such is not actually the case. The fact is that the latest figures disclose a serious shortage of infantry. Our true position on official figures is:— Needed 537 infantry. Available 427 infantry. Shortage 110. infantry. There are only two weeks to get the men. The total number of men required in the district at the end of last week, when the latest returns were compiled, was 187 o;

So, while the Wellington District has on its books 250 per cent., the number of men it immediately requires, it is, nevertheless, short of men, in as much as the infantry arm cannot yet adequately be supplied. There are nearly 600 men who are written down as “not available till after Christmas,” and out of 685 fit infantrymen registered nearly 40 per cent.—2sß—are not immediately available. In all the arms, except infantry. enough mon are available, but the shortage of infantry is (in view' of tho current rate of recruiting) heavy. The district’s December requirements, together with the numbers of men available, are shown in the tables which follow. Wellington military district is divided into five groups, as follows: Group s—Wellington City and Suburbs. Group 6—Manawatu. . Group 7—Hawke's Bay and Poverty

Bay, Group 7a—Wairarapa. Group B—Taranaki. The district’s and the group’s quotas for the Eleventh Reinforcements are:—

The numbers of men fit and available in the district and in th© groups are

Reducing all these figures into a table showing the position as regards infantry, the following result is obtained;— Infantry Infantry Infantry quota, 'available, shortage.

The - chief shortages m infantry, therefore, are in Wellington City and Taranaki. Tho outlook in Taranaki appears to have suddenly changed completely. Until lately that group wafl always well ahead of requirements. Now, in addition to a shortage m infantry, there is a shortage in mounteds there. , , , _ The infantry and mounted quotas tor tho Wellington district were allotted on a population basis, but it is understood that a readjustment may be made, bo? one thing, while all the other groups are short in infantry. Manawatu has a surplus of 3.S available fnv December.

Fit 1701 Not examined 171 Total required 1875 Another analysis of the books showed:— Fit Fit and available for December... 1126 Fit' but not available till i alter , 578 Not examined '. 171 Total for consideration for January draft A detailed statement of the position is:— £ ‘ o Jj 1.2 .3 "1 11 * s os £? © Se -AS £ %% 'll Mounted ... 322 222 61 29 13 Artillerv .... 278 172 15 ■ 31 3 Engineers ... 108 70 y 20 2 Signal Serv. 3U 23 — 9 — Infantrv .... 6S5 427 52 66 53 A.S.C 128 109 0 16 4 Ambulance... 09 73 18 8 3 Other br’ches 54 30 11 3 5 Total ... 1701 1126 171 183 81

5 6 7 7a 8 TL 34 28 20 19 25 126 Artillery 31 10 — 6 — 53 Engineers ... 13 13 — 5 — 4 1 — 3 — S lufantrv 144 120 80 83 110 537 A.S.C 4 3 — : — — T Ambulance... ■ 8 6 — ' - — 16 Total 2S8 187 100 118 135 778

shown in this . table " 7 . 7a 8 TL 46 72 o 36 12 222 Artillery Engineers ... 106 27 22 10 4 11 6 14 6 172 7° 13 8 1 72 158 78 74 4 o 427 A.S.C 64 23 8 0 9 109 Ambulance... 36 19 6 - 7 5 73 Other br’chcs — 15 6 o 4 30 Total 364 344 177 145 96 1126

Group 5 ... 144 72 72 Group 6 ... Group 7 ... . 120 80 158 78 2 Group 7a.. Group 8 .. 83 . 110 74 45 9 65 Total .. . "is? 427 (net) 110