IS IT NECESSARY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 67, 19 June 1942, Page 5

IS IT NECESSARY

E.P.S. MEMBERS QUERY DISTRICT CONTROLLER'S REASSURANCE The following question was put by the Rangitaiki branch of the E. P. S. to the District. Controller (Mr E. R. Wilkinson) at last Monday's meeting of district wardens: — Members of the Rangitaiki E.P.S.O have taken their work seriously and have put in a considerable amount of time and thought in an endeavour to .provide an efficient E.P.S. organisation with sound administration. The instructions received from the Director of National Service are lengthy and numerous and call for deej) and prolonged study. It is obvious that in order to give effect to these instructions each district must have a good percentage of men with administrative ability, common sense, reliability and specialised training. The Rangitaiki E.P.S. has very few men and these- few cannot successfully undertake both. Home Guard and E.P.S. work. Remarks made by responsible officers, as quoted in recent newspapers, suggest that the E.P.S.O'. could not function in the event of an invasion but in a raid would perform its duties. This being so, is it suggested that in the event of enemy forces approaching the Whakatane coast and effecting a landing the E.P.S. should not attempt to put into action its Law and Order, Transport, Evacuation and Medical Sections. Many E.P.S.O. members are beginning to wonder if the Government, the Army, and the Home Guard authorities look on the Enter- j gency Precautions Scheme as something of a farce. If the E.P.S. is merely a side line, to be looked after by Home Guard members when off duty would it not be better to tell the public officially that this is the position and release for other duties the Director of National Service, his officers and thousands of people throughout the country who have devoted able and persistent efforts on behalf of a cause sponsored by the authorities and. demanding administrative work of a peculiar and exacting nature. Responding to the above, the E.P.S District Controller, Mr E. R. Wilkinson. stated that it was a matter largely in the hands of the E.P.5.0 1 . themselves. He personally had always endeavoured to emphasise beyond all shadow cf doubt the vital nature of the work which was shouldered: by the E.P.S. A lot of the blame rested with those members who looked upon their (duties more or less as a make believe pastime. He on the other hand looked upon the work as the most important in the country. It would be the first to operate in the event of an enemy attack, bombing from the air, or shelling from submarines. The whole of ths E.P.S. would immediately swing into active service as soon as the alarm was sounded., Given selfantonomy, all Avould play an important part and there Avould not be any softness about the duties they Avould be called upon to do. That was a mistaken idea—every man would to get into it. The E.P.S. to bis Avav of thinking Avould develop into a most important organisation in the eA r ent of either civil defence or offence I