Recruiting meeting held

Non-commisssioned officers at Dunedin, prior to leaving for Trentham. Back row: N. M. Mackenzie,...
Non-commisssioned officers at Dunedin, prior to leaving for Trentham. Back row: N. M. Mackenzie, H. T. Davidson, T. A. Bunbury, C. Clarke. Front row: A. Waltho, A. Hannah, J. Little, R. Knox, A. J. Aitken, W. Sachtler. - Otago Witness, 19.5.1915.
The Garrison Hall was packed last night when another recruiting meeting was held.

It was noticeable that the gathering was composed very largely of ladies.

In the absence of the Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark), who is indisposed, the chair was occupied by Colonel Stoneham (chairman of the Recruiting Committee).

The meeting was opened with a verse of the National Anthem, after which the band played a selection.

The Chairman apologised for the absence of the Mayor, who had been confined to his home for two or three days.

He also read the following telegram from the Hon. Mr Massey, Prime Minister: ''I regret exceedingly that owing to the abnormal pressure of work in Wellington it is impossible for me to make arrangements to be present at your meeting in Dunedin, and it is not possible for any of my colleagues to attend. Please express to your committee my apologies for unavoidable absence and my appreciation of their courtesy in asking me to be present and to address the meeting. I trust the gathering will be large and representative, and lead to satisfactory results.''

(Applause.)

The chairman announced several entertainments in aid of the Wounded Soldiers' Fund, and went on to express the pleasure of the Recruiting Committee at the large meeting. He felt that when such a large audience took an interest in recruiting they could look for a proportionate number of enlistments. - (Applause.)

They were asked to send 550 infantry men from Otago by Saturday of next week. A fortnight later they had to send 300 more, and as well as 100 mounted men and members of the Army Service Corps and ambulance - in all, between 900 and 1000 men. Meetings had been organised all through Otago, and it was hoped, when the lists closed on the following night there would be no shortage in the 550 men required. (Applause.)

He did not think the Government would put the Conscription Act into force in any one province, but if the number coming forward was not sufficient for New Zealand's purposes he did not see how the Government could fail to put that Act into force. He hoped such a step would not be required, but if it was required the law must be carried out. (Applause.)

• The war is bringing out latent qualities, even in young ladies, which they never dreamed they possessed (remarks the Timaru Herald).

Owing to all her brothers having left for Trentham, en route for the front, a young woman on a farm not far from Timaru on Friday found herself, for the first time in her life, with five cows to milk.

Never having been near a cow before, she was at a loss to know on which side she should take her seat with the bucket, but after being kicked over once or twice she rapidly acquired that little bit of knowledge.

How to make the milk flow was the next problem, and this she found much more difficult to accomplish.

She persevered, however, with dogged determination from half-past 5 in the morning until 20 minutes to 1, when, with tired wrists, a breaking back, and a sorely tried temper, she fulfilled her task.

So proud was the young lady of her achievement that she immediately telephoned the Herald office to say how pleasant it was to be doing something useful, and that as she could not go out to fight she would cheerfully continue to milk the cows for her brothers so long as the war lasted. - ODT, 22.5.1915.

 

 


• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ


 

 

Add a Comment