Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1942. DISCIPLINE AND SERVICE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 1942, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1942. DISCIPLINE AND SERVICE.

UNQUALIFIED approval is likely to be given to the announcement by the Minister of National Service (31r Semple) that powers arc to be taken at once to enforce compulsory discipline and compulsory service under the, Emergency Precautions Scheme. But for the fact that until comparatively recently civil defence organisation was not regarded very seriously in this country the powers mentioned no doubt would have been taken long ago. It now is or should be clear to all that the organisation of civil defence is hardly if at all less vital than that of the armed forces. It has become an essential condition of public security that there should be an assurance of disciplined, diligent and efficient performance of duty in all branches of Emergency Precautions work. What is true in these particulars of our civil defence organisation certainly is not less true of our Home Guard. As yet the Home Guard consists solely of volunteers, though power is now to be taken to transfer men to its ranks from the E.P.S. A very large proportion of the members of the Home Guard have shown admirable zeal and public spirit, and have worked tirelessly, often in discouraging conditions and under serious handicaps of one kind and another. It is known, however, that in some instances standards of service and attendance at training and other parades of the Home Guard arc rather unequal. This state of affairs, where it exists, imposes injustice on those members of the Home Guard who do their duty diligently and faithfully. Seriously incomplete attendances at some times may be accounted for in part by the fact that some men have joined the Home Guard who are unequal physically to the standards of service it demands. A considerable part of the remedy that is needed may be found in the policy of compulsory transfers to and from the E.P.S. for which provision is about to be made. In any event it is obvious that if the Home Guard is to be the efficient and dependable force.it ought to be in these critical days, high standards of discipline, and not least of attendance, must be enforced. Like any oilier armed force, the Home Guard must be strong and efficient in all its parts and this means that all its members must be adequately trained. The precise standards of discipline to be enforced must be determined by experienced and competent leaders. It is no doubt impracticable that these standards should be in all respects as rigid and inflexible as those that apply to men of normal military age serving in our front line forces. Standards that will adequately ensure the efficiency of the Home Guard most certainly should be enforced, however, and those members of the organisation who arc incapable of living up to these standards should be invited to serve the community in some other way. LANSDOWNE SCHOOL. TN the main the protest made by a meeting of Lansdowne residents against the Lansdowne School being taken over as an hospital, unless in the case of a major emergency, brought about by enemy action, may be left to speak for itself. The protest plainly calls for an answer by the authorities concerned and particularly for an assurance that all reasonable and pratieable alternatives will be examined before there is any question of displacing the Lansdowne children from their school. From the statements made at the meeting on Tuesday evening, by district members of the Wellington Education Board, it is fairly clear that this examination of alternatives has not yet been made. It does not appear seriously to have been attempted. Arrangements of course must be made to provide hospital accommodation in readiness for such an emergency as may easily arise, and any necessary call for that purpose upon the resources of the community must be met. At all times, however, children have a maximum claim to consideration, and a school is the last community establishment that should be interfered with in meeting emergency demands. The action now being taken with regard to Lansdowne School could be justified only if it were shown that there is no other reasonably satisfactory way of providing emergency hospital accommodation.