MANPOWER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 5, 16 September 1942, Page 5

MANPOWER

PROBLEMS DISCUSSED

OPINION OF MR BODKIN

Problems confronting Emergency Precautions Services throughout New Zealand were reviewed by regional commissioners and district controllers at a conference at Wellington last. week. One of the principal points discussed Avas manpoAver

Manpower was, the subject ol a statement read on behalf of the Minister of Civil Dcfence, the Hon. W. A. Bodkin. It was pointed out that the increasing demands being made by the armed forces, including the Home Guard, made the question of it personnel for the services progressively more difficult. The personnel of many E.P.S. units was being further depleted and this would become more acute with the calling up of the next age group. The matter, however, had to be met.

Mr Bodkin pointed out that the first step was to ensure that, all those required to enrol had, done so.

A strong point was made that greater use could be made of the services of women and girls in the E.P.S. units in order to release men for the heavier and more responsible duties for which only men were suitable. The W.W.S.A. was an avenue that should be used as far as possible for the recruitment of women for the E.P.S.

"The time may not be far off," said the Minister, "when consideration may have to be given to the

question of compulsory emergency services for certain classes of women, say from the age of 17 to 43 years and of boys from 16 to 18 years of age."

The Minister also said that a proposal was being considered for the training of the Home Guard in certain civil defence duties with a view to the making use of their services in the event of an emergency that did not require their use for military purposes. "If suitably trained," he said, "'they could provide valuable reinforcements for the F.P.S."

The Minister emphasised that the policy generally agreed upon was to secure the complete amalgamation of individual E.P.S. organisations

within country or urban areas, or a combination of both where topographical conditions and community of interest made it possible. Alternative proposals for the securing of partial control in some areas where full amalgamation could not be achieved could be considered by the controllers of such districts.