INCREASED ARMY CONTROL

Southland Times, Issue 24868, 7 October 1942, Page 5

INCREASED ARMY CONTROL

Possible Changes In Home Guard The announcement that Lieuten-ant-Colonel W. Bell, of Invercargill, and Lieutenant-Colonel E. F. Selby, of Gore, have asked to be relieved of their positions as group directors of the Home Guard has roused a great deal of interest and speculation among Guardsmen throughout Southland. The pending change in the control of the Home Guard, which is the cause of the resignations, is understood to mean a more complete control of the Guard by the Army authorities. When the Guard was formed it was a civilian force under the control of the National Service Department and a branch of the Emergency Reserve Corps, which includes the Emergency Precautions Service.' There have been many changes since those days. The Guard, which started from scratch with practically nothing, has been supplied with uniforms, arms and other equipment. About a year ago it was put under Army control, a logical step since it was raised for the defence of the country which is the responsibility of the Army. This year all men aged 35 to 51, with some exceptions, were required to enrol for service in the Guard. Before this enlistment was voluntary. FURTHER CHANGES LIKELY Another recent change was the decision that Guardsmen who were persistently absent from parade without leave would be liable to prosecution in the civil courts. It was also decided that unless they had been granted leave Guardsmen should be required to put in a minimum of 24 hours a month on parade. Further changes are understood to be pending, but whether these will lead eventually to the Home Guard being put on a territorial basis remains to be seen. This would mean that Guardsmen would be paid for attendance at parades, and it might also lead to a tightening up of the discipline. At present, except for prosecution for non-attendance at parades, there is no means of imposing penalties on Guardsmen, and the maintenance of discipline depends on the good sense and esprit de corps of the Guardsmen themselves. A system of payment would permit of a system of fines, which would be one means of dealing with any man who did not have the good sense to observe a reasonable standard of discipline.