COMPULSION PLAN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 86, 22 January 1942, Page 6

COMPULSION PLAN

EMERGENCY RESERVE CORPS. ALL MEN TO BE ENROLLED BETWEEN 18 AND 66 YEARS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Important policy steps with regard to the enrolment of personnel for the Emergency Precautions and other civil defence services were announced by the Government in a statement which points out that the outbreak of war in the Pacific necessitated urgent review of the whole question of manpower to fill the necessary services. Thousands of additional members are required to bring the services to the minimum establishment, taking into account the necessity for providing wastage under actual emergency conditions and the wider functions in connection with fire-watching and other duties.

After a comprehensive review of the whole position the Government has decided that the service is to be spread more equitably over all sections of the community. The work performed by civil defence services being for the safety of the whole community, the principle of spreading hardship or sacrifice as equally as possible applies to them with as. much force as to the armed forces. Equitable spreading of sacrifices among all sections of the community places on every fit man the obligation to perform national service. The appropriate amendments to the National Service Emergency Regulations have been passed and the War Cabinet lias decided that the Minister of National Service shall now issue an order directing with the necessary exceptions, the enrolment in the Emergency Reserve Corps of all male persons who have attained the age of IS years, but who have not attained the age of 66 years.

By these measures the principle of compulsory service, securing equality of treatment, will be applied to all male British subjects between IS and 66 years of age.

The exempted classes are as follows: (1) Men in receipt of invalid pensions.

(2) Inmates for the time being of hospitals, mental hospitals, blind institutes and prisons.

• (3) Men already enrolled in the Home Guard and National Military Reserve, the Emergency Precautions Scheme, or any other branch of the Emergency Reserve Corps.

(4) Men actively attached to any branch of the Armed Forces.

Men between the ages mentioned who are not included in one of the exempted classes are required to complete a form of enrolment and forward it within 14 days to the nearest Emergency Precautions Scheme headquarters. Acknowledgment of enrolment will be given. Each man will be interviewed by an officer of the Emergency Precautions Scheme so that his availability and suitability for service can be fully examined.

In allocation to the different, branches. of the Emergency Reserve Corps, full regard will he given to the circumstances of each man in order to secure the fairest possible distribution of service throughout the whole population. _ . Separate arrangements are. being made for continuous fire-watching service in certain vulnerable areas. Building fire wardens will make direct contact with all men in buildings under their control and from those liable foi service they will select a sufficient personnel to man the continuous service. Any shortages in personnel will be made up from adjoining buildings, or otherwise. Personnel for traffic police services in rural aieas am e selected directly by officers in the districts concerned. At the present time the number ot women enrolled for service in the Emergency Precautions Service is regarded as satisfactory, particularly when reserves serving in various branches of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary are taken into account. Attention is being directed to the registration of industries to cope with the demand for increased production ana to replace men being called up foi service in the armed forces.