PRECAUTIONS SCHEME

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 274, 26 February 1941, Page 5

PRECAUTIONS SCHEME

DUTIES NOT CLEAR

COUNCIL'S DECISION UPSET

As previously published, the d.e-» cision of the Whakatane County Council to hand over the control of the Emergency Precautions Scheme to the Home Guard in this County was ruled out of order by the authorities and the notification to this effect was read by the chairman, Mr J. L. Burnett, at yesterday's meeting. Mr Burnett continued to state that he had, on receiving this information, attended a meeting of the Home Guard committee, but unfor-tunately-at that meeting there was a big agenda and he had not had time to go fully into the matter. It was the suggestion of the Minister that the council control the Emergency Precautions Scheme on similar lines to those adopted by the Home Guard, whereby the district would be divided into areas and wardens in each district would be the key men. He suggested that it be left to himself, the engineer and the clerk to formulate a scheme and then report to a special meeting of the council.

Mr Burnett added that on several occasions, and very recently, notification had been received that duties, which at first had been delen gated to the Emergency Precautions Scheme, had been transferred U* the responsibility of the Home Guard. He' quoted patrols of roads and the picketing of petrol stations as instances. Thus, he said, it was difficult for the council to yet know the duties under the Scheme.

It was the opinion of several members that eventually the Scheme would become totally merged with the Home Guard, and it was decided that the committee suggested by the chairman go Into the matter and report back at a time when it would be able, to give a programme of duties definitely delegated to the Emergency Precautions Scheme.