COUNTY APPLICATION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 190, 24 July 1940, Page 5

COUNTY APPLICATION

EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS SCHEME QUERIES TO MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS CHAIRMAN AND COUNTY CLERIv TO ACT IN DISCUSSIONS In a letter dated June 25th, the County Clerk, Mr C. G. Lucas, pointed out to the Minister of Internal Affairs that the Emergency Precautions Sch eme could be more effectively admiinstered in the Whakatane County by decentralisation. Fur ther, the Minister's attention was drawn to the possibility of an emergency arising from causes other than a local catastrophe, in which case consideration would have to be given td the important question of evacuation. Advice was sought on thei point of statutory powers for the Council in administering the scheme in the County., It was stressed that the questions, asked did not indicate a war hysteria on the part of tliet council or district, but it was considered that, in its application to the Whakatane County the Scheme did not go far enough. The letter to the Minister read as follows:— The proposal outlined in your letter of 20th September, 1939,. has received the earnest consideration of the Council. As a rural local authority with an area of 1677 square miles and with a population, spread throughout such area, of approximately 11,000 of which 4000 is native, the Council considers that it would be able to carry out the proposals outlined in the Emergency Scheme more effectively by decentralisation. Committee Formed. It is submitted that it is possible in a County the size of Whakatane for one area only to be affected and the proposal is that the Riding Councillors in five districts will have associated with them strong committees which,, in the event of an emergency would supervise and control the following: 1. Transport and Patrols. 2. Supply. 3. Accommodation. 4. Law and Order. 5. And Nursing. (All Doctors and Hospitals are at present centralised in Whakatane, Rotorua and Opotiki). To co-ordinate the whole scheme a central executive comprising the County Chairman, the writer, the County Engineer and two others, is being set up. This central executive would be in supreme control The matter of this supreme control has raised the question, as to what, in the event of an( emergency, would be such committee's statutory powers. For instance, all" food supplies and! transport oil are drawn from Auckland and it may be neces-v sary to commandeer supplies not only in this district, but in adjoining districts which are not affected by the emergency* Does a statute exist whicH would give the Committee legal authority to do this ? Possible Enemy Action. My Council's opinion is that whereas, an emergency might arise from a local catastrophe, there is a possibility of an emergency arising which will lie the result of local enemy action. In tills case it would probably be necessary to evacuate this coastal district and it is desired to know Avhat provision has been made by the authorities for the pro vision has been made iby the auth-. orities for the provision of food and accommodation in inland districts for the evacuees. Here, it is felt that the setting up of our local organisation to transport evacuees is useless if there is no inland district prepared with sufficient housing and food for the accommodation of such evacuees. Your advices on this matter at your convenience would be appreciated. My Council is also of the opinion that local enterprise in the matter of defence should be encouraged, fn this district there are hundreds of men over the age limit with pre vious military service, who are willing and anxions to do anything pos sible in home defence. The Council is of the opinion that these men should be encouraged and it asks what equipment in the matter o!' rifles and machine, guns'is available for the establishment of local defence corps. The Council considers the military authorities should give

these men a musketry and arms course locally. Such a corps would of course he under the control of the military authorities. Could you plcasy state., so far as you feel you are able, Avhat the Governriient's policy in this inatter is and whjat equipment is available. Vigilance and Evacuations There is also the matter of vigilance committees. The Council's opinion is that same should be appointed. The power of such a committee would be to bring before the' authorities for summary investiga- | tion all cases where there was ! cause to believe that the, suspect was an enemy agent, etc. Doles statutory authority exist for file appointment of such committees: —the personnel of which wonld of course be available for any emergency— preferably as Special Constables and does the statutory machinery , exist for the examination of sirspccts. The matter of evacuation of this 1 district to an inland area lias been dealt with in this letter. There is 1 also the possibility of the necessity to evacuate the residents from the cities and if this should be so, cou?d r , you please advise what would be expected of this County. It is a(5-. ] sumed that the Government would desire this County to accommodate . several thousand city evacuees and , I am directed to advise you that the residents of this area would be , quite happy to assist lit evciT way possible. Could you please state JiF any proposals in respedt of evacuation of cities exist, and if so what the same are? The questions asked In this j letter are not a result of Council or district war hysteria, but , it is considered that tlie Emergency Precautions Scheme aoes not, in the face of possible enemy action, go far enough. Furthermore, the Council has directed me to respectfully advise you that this letter has 1 been written with the sole oh* ject of co-operating with andi assisting the Government in J every way possible. 1 Discussions This Week. ; A reply to this letter stated that the Council's problems in controls ling such a large area were fully appreciated. "In this connection, and Avith particular respect to some of the specific questions asked, it is apparent that a discussion would be helpful," the letter continued. "Mr A. G. Harper, Officer in Charge of Local Government of this Department, wilH be in Rotoraa on the 26th instant, and from there could proceed to Whakatane for a discussion. This would provide the means of clearing up several points concerning the Council." On the recommendation of the Finance and General Purposes Committee, the Council left the matter to the Chairman and the County Clerk.

Public Interest. The Commissioner of Police also wrote in connection with the scheme, advising that he had received from the Under Secretary of the Internal Affairs Department an ex-' tract from the County Clerk's letter, this extract dealing with vigilonce committees. The Commissioner said that willingness of the Council to assist the Police Department was appreciated, but it was not considered necessary, nor wise, to set up suc>h committees :\t this stage. "It is the duty of every citizen to report to the police any matter which appears to call* for investigation and all such cases are carefully investigated/" the letter continued. "Tjo delay reporting any matter while it is being considered by a commit 1 - t'ee would probably have harmful effects. A further danger attached to the setting up of a vigilance com mittce in the County would be Uiat others would desire to emulate tlif; scheme and such committees unde}r loose control would definitely be detrimental to the interests of justice. There is no statutory provision for the setting up of vigilancc committees, but there is adequate legislation to enable the Police Department to appoint spccial constables to deal with any emergency, but that necessity does not at present. exist." Adopted by the Council was the Finance Committee's recommendation that the matter should be resubmitted.