RECRUITS WANTED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 184, 24 November 1941, Page 5

RECRUITS WANTED

PERSONNEL FOR E.P.S. .MA NY NOT PULLING ', WEI GHT "Our difficulty is lack of adequate personnel," stated the • chairman of the Whakatane Borough Emergency Precautions Scheme Organisation, Mr B. S. Barry* on Thursday night. "The Home Guard' rollsl, however, have now been purged' and probtaibly more men will now be available for the E.P.S. "We have no intention of going ■ over the heads of the Home Guard at any time —if it is thought necessary to withdraw anyone from the Guard it will be done through the proper channels. Both organisations are working together very well and see each other's point of view." Mr Barry continued that prior to the- meeting lie had had a conversation with the Home Guard Commander who had been very Avilling to assist in any way. However, the speaker said he was reluctant to apply for transfer of any Guardsman •who was enthusiastic, and would do so only where unavoidable. Present Meagre Numbers Continuing that the personnel fos the Scheme would have to be swelled, the; chairman said that the Firn Section was the only one complete and efficient, there being the permanent Volunteer Brigade with an added nineteen auxiliary members. The St. John Ambulance provided nine members, when those of that -branch serving in the Home Guard were eliminated. Otherwise there was- a total of 38 in an unclassified class plus already acting making a toital at present of 89. Not Pulling Weight The unclassified list should be increased consielcrably there being a ■large number of residents serving in neither the Guard or the E.P'.S. "who were not "pulling their weight." These residents should be brought into the E.P.S. —and it was possible to bring them in. "Unless we can get sufficient per- ' sonnel the Scheme must be a failure," he said, adding that hitherto the chief difficulty had been that 'the Home Guard being more attractive had enrolled all men willing to serve. No Compulsion to Join Referring to the recent announcement regarding the compulsory service in the organisation, Mr Barry said that the only compulsion was that when a person once joined and -attested then it was not permissible to withdraw without authority. People could not be compelled to Join the organisation. "In regard to that ruling I agree with the Mayor of Auckland who is of t*he opinion that if members wish to withdraw then let them go—if any are half-hearted then they are no good' to us,"' he said. Position, of W.W.S.A. 'That a number of other bodies - could be added to the personnel Avas further stateel by the speaker whe quoted the Bey Scouts, senior school pupils, and the members of the W.W.S.A. In regard to the las named it had been lately ruled thai members of the Auxiliary were elig ible to join the E.P.S. without in terfering with their own work. Wo men could be most useful for man] duties including clerical work an( for instance Red Cross Society mem bers would doubtless be willing t< join in with the Ambulance section More Important Than! Guard! Disapproval of the Home Guari objecting to personnel being with drawn from its ranks was voiced b; Mr S. S. Shapley, who at the sam time added that he did not wish t "break the hearts" of keen Guards men who did not wish to transfer However, he stressed the importanc . of having "key" men in the E.P.S Continuing he voiced the opinio: that the E.P.S.O. was of more im portance than the Home Guard. Thi had been proved in England wher it had been used a great deal mor than the Guard. In New Zealan expert opinion had it that "hit an run" tactics were the chief concer and in that event the E.P.S. woul be needed and not the Guard. H concluded by stating that the E.P.J should be more concentrated upon The chairman pointed out that fi present the Home Guard was onl a static force its: range of operatio to be a radius otf five miles. He adc ed his personal opinion that in th rather remote chance of an enem

landing it would be unlikely that the Whakatane area would he chosen by invaders owing to its* lack of easy communications. Mr Barry again pointed out that Major C. R. Wilson, of the Guard, was sympathetic, realised the difficulties of the E.P.S. and would give ali cooperation. Dr E. T. Dawson: "Unfortunately that does not give us the personnel!" Should Come First "I think the E.P.S. should come first. The whole thing is wrong from start to finish," said Mir Shapley adding that til? E.P.S. had assisted the Guard from the start and as soon as the question of personnel was raised was set on one side. The E.P.S. had been instituted in 1936 and only stimulated by the war. He said the personnel was urgent and the time had arrived when the authorities should take some stand. The Guard would probably never be required, while at any time an emergency other than Avar might call the E.P.S. to action. The trouble had been that the authorities had held up the preparations by not defining duties. "The scheme has been a 'botch from start to finish)," said Dr Dawson adding that regulations had "dribbled" in contradicting , each other, giving power and then withdrawing it until it had been impossible to prepare. ' "Its no wonder people get sick and tired of it," he said. The outcome of the discussion was that the chairman asked each committee to make an immediate effort to prepare their plans and enlist adequate personnel. In concluding he stressed the point made to him by Major G. R. Wilson that although a * statement by Major Herrold, Area Commander of the Homo Guard, had to be published in the Beacon, its reference to the E.P.S.O, officials withdrawing Guardsmen without going through the proper channels did not apply locally.