The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-04
RECRUITING WORK

The report of the parliamentary and joint labor recruiting committees, which took the work of enlistment out of the hands of the army few weeks ago, will be made on December il. If the results of the thorough canvass of the United Kingdom prove that the number of men the military authorities want are willing to join the army, the movement for con scription, which was fast becoming a burning political issue. and which the labor unions were opposing, will end. If this appeal fails to meet the expectations of it's promoters, the prime minister has told Parliament that he will hesitate at nothing necessary to prosecute the war to a successful finish
 The only pressure put upon Britons thus far has been the pressure of public opin- ion. The remarkable scheme which Lord Derby is directing will place the country on a basis of organization for service as comprehensive as that of the conscript nations. It relieves the army of recruit ing by a campaign of posters, speech making and personal exhortations. It gives the government definite knowledge of the number of men eligible for mili- tary service, with their degrees of elgi- bility, with equally definite statistics of those engaged in indispensable civilian pursuits, and has separated them into classes so that the war office may call up class after class when they are needed.
 SYSTEM WELL ORGANIZED
 Informal local courts have been evolved to which men who con- slider themselves exempt from service or think they have been wrongly class flied may appeal and even court of appeal from the decisions of these local tribunals All the machinery of con ar,i2 the factor of legal power to enforce the processes of the machine. Com pliance is still voluntary, but the power of public opinion remains and with an accurate knowledge of all the men who may be considered shirkers the local committees will be able to invoke the pressure of public sentiment accurate ly and strongly.
 When the canvass has been com pleted the civilian organization will stand ready to furnish the men; it will be for the war office to ask for them and for the drill sergeants and general staff to do the rest.
 The committee had two organiza- tions prepared to carry out its scheme without the heavy cost of complex body of salaried officials.
 These organizations are the parlla- mentary campaign committee of the po- litica1 parties and the labor unions. The canvass has been made on the same thorough and accurate lines as a canvass for votes in general election. It has been made by voluntary work CTS and many of them have been wom- en. The experience of the suffragists in practical political work has proven useful. Hundreds of motor cars have been loaned.
 All individuals have been given the opportunity to fill cards volunteering II. x fnr fr,n- mediate service and those to be placed in reserve groups to continue their oc equations subject to call. The commit- tee will have accurate information re- garding the status of the great ma jority of the men who fail to respond when called.
 MEN CLASSIFIED
 There are 46 groups, 23 for single men. each year of age constituting 0 separate group. and 23 similar groups of married men; the first group con sisting of single men aged years. the forty-sixth of married men aged 40 It is proposed to call up the groups for military service in their numerical or der except that men of IS years will not be called until they become 19. Sew eraI classes may be exempted from serv- ice notably munitions workers certain classes of railway men and farm la UOrerS, ana III SpcCld1 liulNldudl CdoCS the local tribunals may decree exemp- tion, particularly for those whose em- ployer can prove them indispensable
 The local tribunals to pass on dis puted cases were organized by the se- lection of committees from town coun- cils. metropolitan borough councils and urban and rural district councils. The appeal court for these bodies consists of four members with Lord Sydenham, chairman. and Sir George Younger, prominent brewer, and the three for mer government officials.
 Lord Derby wrote a statement which the premier indorsed as correct, that married men are not to be called up until young unmarried men have been. If these young men do not come for ward voluntarily you will either release the married men from their pledges or introduce a bill into Parliament to compel the young men to serve. which, if passed, would mean that the married men would be held to their enlist ment.'