HOME DEFENCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 283, Issue 283, 14 March 1941, Page 5

HOME DEFENCE

CONSCRIPTION URGED NOT CONSIDERED NECESSARY LOCALLY I The Stratford Borough Council has sent out circular letter to all borough councils, including Whakatane, urging the adoption of conscription in regard to the Home Guard and Emergency Precautions scheme. The resolutions for which it invites support reads as folloAVs: "That, in view oi the serious position now obtaining, the threatening aspect in the Pacific, and the urgent need for preparedness foj- local defence, this council urges upon the Government that it exercise its powers of enforcing service under the Home Defence and Emergency Precautions schemes by all those fit and able to render service therein, and not at present being called on for overseas service or serving in the defence forces of this country." In an addendum the communication asks that if, as is the case at present, and lightly so, men can be called up on ballet for overseas service, what objection can be raised to enforced service by those available for Home Defence and Emergency Precautions service ? As to the urgency of the need for preparedness, does anyone doubt or question this ? Considered Unnecessary. This matter was discussed at the meeting of the local Borough Council held this week and, in introducing the suggestion, the Mayor (Mr B. S. Barry) stated that he did not consider such a step was necessary as far as the Whakatane district was concerned. In this district there was the Home Guard and the Emergency Precautions Scheme in operation, and, although there was certainly a dearth of personnel in the E.P.S. which was due to the heavy recruiting in the Guard, lie felt that the position was satisfactory. He continued to point out that the enrolments in the Home Guard had reached over 1300 in the district, and that would indicate that there was no need to enforce service. "The Government has the territorials to equip .and now the Home Guard, and I doubt if il would enforce training in the Home Guard owing to the difficulty of equipment," he concluded. Councillor S. S. Shaplcy suggested that, although such a move- was not necessary as far as the Whakatane area was concerned, it might be so in other districts and for that reason he suggested that perhaps to support the resolution would assist other parts of the country. That the Government was doing its best at present to equip the forces and finding difficulty in doing so was mentioned by Cr W. Sullivan, and he added that as this was the position it would be useless asking the Government to, at present, undertake additional tasks in that direction. The discussion lapsed at this stage the letter being received.