E.P.S. TRANSPORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1942, Page 2

E.P.S. TRANSPORT

PROVISION FOR EMERGENCY NOTICES BEING DESPATCHED TO OWNERS. THE POSITION DEFINED. Lists of trucks and cars, particularised as to owner and make, etc., which may be required should a state of emergency be proclaimed in Masterton and district, have been compiled by the respective controllers of divisions in the Emergency Precautions Service. After examination and revision by the Wairarapa Motor Vehicle Controller and his advisory committee notices of intention to use have been prepared and are about to be sent out to the owner of each truck or car whose name is in the lists. As practically all these vehicles have been voluntarily offered to the E.P.S., it is assumed that there will be no appeals made by the owners. Notices are going out today also for vehicles for the Eketahuna Home Guard Battalion, and the balance of the E.P.S. and Home Guard requirements will be despatched within the next few days. In the event of a local state of emergency being proclaimed such vehicles will be liable to be called up for immediate E.P.S. service. As no one, however, can forecast the extent or the duration of a state of emergency, it is quite impracticable to define the number and to what extent motor vehicles for E.P.S. will be required, besides which strict conservation of petrol will be a limiting factor. It must be emphasised therefore that a general mobilisation of all E.P.S. motor vehicles under these circumstances is not contemplated. In a state of emergency it cannot be too strongly stressed that only those members of the E.P.S. whose cars, etc., are called out for E.P.S., together with such vehicles needed for the essential civil requirements, will be permitted to use them. Other than this, vehicles will not be permitted to be used or to remain on the street.