The reason for this is probably attributable to the fact that the holiday season is at an end.
Nevertheless, the position is far from satisfactory, and one staff officer freely expresses the opinion that many of the men simply do not want to go.
For the whole dominion the shortage for the Eleventh Reinforcements is about 300, and Otago bulks largely in the deficiency.
The latest progress return shows that, while there is a shortage of 85 infantry, there is a surplus of 133 men in other departments of the service, and men who have enlisted in the Field Ambulance, Army Service Corps, and Artillery decline to agree to any transfer to make up the deficiency in the infantry.
It is estimated that it will take five months to exhaust the supply available for the Field Ambulance in this district, and eight months before all the Army Service Corps men will be taken, in which case some of them may not get to the front before next January.
According to accounts, there are indications that the surplus men mentioned are not only not anxious to serve in the infantry division, but exhibit some shyness in serving in the arm of the service they have selected.
Of 30 men passed as fit out of 67 before the doctors within the last three days, only 15 have signified their intention of going forward with the reinforcement draft next month.
A feeling seems to prevail in military circles that many men are simply trifling with duty.
• Unfortunately for the censorship in respect of the public's estimation of it, the field its operations cover is a very wide one (writes the London correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald, under date of November 18).
Just now it is in sad disfavour once again, this time, however, on its military side.
Certain green envelopes in which soldiers, writing home to friends and relatives, used to enclose their letters, were, it appears, discarded by the authorities, and other envelopes substituted for them.
But that is no adequate reason for the absurdity which has now disgraced officialism.
People in this country have had from their soldier friends in France letters which, on being opened, were found to contain nothing but a printed official statement to the effect that "this envelope is obsolete, and should not have been used.
Its contents have been destroyed.''
Could red-tapeism go more pitifully far?
The result is bitter disappointment to the recipients of this masterly document, and in some cases even grave distress of mind.
One unfortunate, for example, writes to say that the letter for her which was thus destroyed was from her husband.
He was killed shortly after writing it.
It was his last word to his wife.
But it was in the wrong envelope, and the official whose object all sublime it is to make the punishment fit this sort of crime tore it up.
This, surely, is the very ecstacy of Bumbledom. - ODT, 8.1.1916.
