EMERGENCY MEASURES

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20908, 13 September 1939, Page 6

EMERGENCY MEASURES

HAMILTON’S PRECAUTIONS FORMATION OF COMMITTEES PRESERVING ESSENTIAL SERVICES With a view to undertaking the preparation of local schemes lor action in the case ol an emergency created by enemy action or by some natural disaster, several emergency (precautions committees, covering all the services essential to the well-being of the community, have been formed in Hamilton and have already met to consider the provisional guide to local authorities, which was laid down by a Government committee. A wide field is covered by the committees, the chairmen of which, with the emergency committee of the Borough Council, comprises a central committee which has control of any steps to be taken in the town. An indication of the extent of the work that has been undertaken may be gained from the titles ol' the committees, which are as follows, with the names of the chairmen In parentheses: Supply (Mr C. B. Smith), transport (Mr F. W. Luxford), medical and public health (Mr F. Findlay, representing the Waikato Hospital Board), law and order (Mr C. W. Lopdell), public utilities (Mr T. G. Reynolds), communications (Mr C. Clark, chief postmaster), works and water (Mr H. M. Hammond), fire (Mr A. Craig), accommodation (Mr W. H. Paul), finance and records (Mr A. St. C. Belcher), publicity and information (Mr A. E. Manning). The Borough Council’s emergency committee which has been made part of the central precautions committee, is comprised of the Mayor, Mr 11. D. -Caro, and Messrs F. Findlay, J. R. Fow, 11. M. Hammond, T. G. Reynolds, \\. L. Waddel (town clerk; and R. Worley (borough engineer). Government Co-operation The object of the committee Is to provide an organisation lor the control of all essential services when they have become upset, and, If necessary, to establish a number of other controlling authorities as time goes on. It was explained at a meeting of the central committee to-day that the Government had taken extensive steps to ensure the promotion of these safeguards toy co-operating with local authorities in every way possible. “AVe will no doubt need an enter- # tainment committee of some descrip-* tion to provide entertainment for men in camp at Hopu Hopu, and schemes to raise funds for patriotic purposes will no doubt be put in hand,” said a report from the central committee. ” Women’s organisations will probably desire again to arrange the supply of gilt parcels for men in the services and to supplement the service issues of clothing. However, these activities should not he confused with the task now before us, which is to prepare leaders to take charge of essential services should these be interrupted.” Preliminary Step* Necessary Though the council’s advisers and the local military authorities were of the opinion that Hamilton was not likely to suffer from an enemy force in the early stages of the war, tbe unexpected was always likely to happen, and it was thought desirable to take the preliminary steps immediately to set up a skeleton organisation to deal with any likely emergency, said a schedule tabled at the meeting to-day. The most probable tasks appeared to be the billeting, feeding, etc., of tn influx of people caused through the necessity of evacuating one of the ports, and the localising of damage caused through enemy aircraft, handling of castualties, pickettiug the damaged area and dispersing crowds. The ideal to be aimed at by the committees is that each responsible officer and each individual entrusted with authority will have in his possession, or have ready access to, lull information as to the nature of his task and the action he has to take. Committees will, therefore, work out detailed plans in advance of the emergency. So long as the leaders have a clear idea of what is required of them the instruction of individual workers can largely be left until the emergency arises. A meeting of the central committee will be held at 10 a.m. next Wednesday to receive reports from the various committees.