Gore, for example, is furnishing 18, although its quota is the same as Balclutha's - viz., six.
Milton has in the past been notoriously behindhand in supplying men, but Balclutha has on occasions supplied a good deal more than its quota.
This, of course, only accentuates the falling off on this occasion, and it is a matter that the local Recruiting Committee might well take cognisance of.
It is, of course, a fact that quite a number of men have enlisted locally during the past few weeks, but they have failed to pass the medical test, and it is only the fit men who count.
Hence it is evident that Balclutha, as well as Milton, needs "stirring up'' in this matter, unless we are to have the compulsory clauses of the Military Service Bill in operation in the near future.
• A perusal of the lists of names of the men who are enlisting in South Canterbury shows that far too many married men with families are going to the front (says the Timaru Herald).
It would appear from this that although recruiting is now much more brisk than formerly, the Compulsion Bill has not yet had the effect of bringing the worst slackers to a sense of their duty.
The opinion is freely expressed that the Defence authorities should refuse to take married men with families while there are so many single men who could, but will not, go until they are compelled.
Last Thursday at the Timaru Defence office a man with a wife and seven children was among those who offered to enlist.
• When replying to a deputation from the Otago Fruitgrowers' Association on Saturday, the Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister of Internal Affairs) made an interesting digression to explain what his department proposed to do towards developing the food resources of the country in a new direction.
He is obtaining, he says, from Mr Moorhouse (the Government curator of inland fisheries) a report during the coming season on the fishing possibilities of every lake in the Otago district where there are trout available that can be fished for the purpose of providing Dunedin with fresh or smoked trout.
He hoped next season to have these supplies coming in to this city.
"If we could feed the people on fish and fruit,'' he said, "it would do them a great deal of good, and the butchers would find it desirable to lower the price of meat.''
• Quite a heated argument, ending in an exchange of blows, took place in a Rangiora street on Monday evening.
Seven men commenced the proceedings by telling a very old man that they favoured the German Navy.
The old man, who staunchly stood up for British supremacy, was greeted with a blow from one of the German admirers, but luckily an Irishman happened to be in the vicinity, and he promptly dealt with the cowardly assailants.
• Mr Ferriman, of Ashburton, gives to every family which sends one or more sons to the war a flag and pole to be hoisted at their respective places.
The flag-poles are erected a uniform distance from the footpath, and when the flags are unfurled they present a fine spectacle, in addition to which they proclaim to all and sundry the families which are sending men to the war. - ODT, 19.6.1916
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
