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CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS.

HOME GUARD. (To the Editor.) I wonder how many persons experienced the same fee-lings of ment and frustration as I did at 41* Home Guard rally at the Town Two thousand people, anxious to keen to learn what they could do, to listen to the same general airy state, nients regarding the Home Gu-ard whiefc they have heard for the last siic montfci. The civilian army wants to start traifr. ing now, to feel the security of a rifle in their hands. It does not want to hear Mr. Semple's latest lurid deserip. tion of Hitler and Mussolini or to hear from hini that this country is in critical situation and is worth defend, in?. Why won't the Minister of National .Service tell us the practical things which all want to know: — (1) jj necessary for E.P.S. workers to ent«| again in the Home Guard? (2) H<Hr many guards are wanted for the defence of Auckland? (■">) How ma nv guards were expected from St. Helier's Ray, Grey Lynn, etc.? (4) How often will'parades be held and at what hour nf the day and night? (5) Can we expect riflw or broom sticks? (fi) What specialist guards are required in the form of transport drivers, cyclist, engineers, demolition squads experienced in the handling of explosives, etc.? All these and a hundred other matters the public want to know. If the Minister of National Service can't tell u« these things after six months' study of the problems then it's about time we had a new Minister for National Service. J. H. KINGSTON.

In the hope that publicity may brin* about an alteration in the proposed method of running the above-mentioned very necessary force, I wish to suggest that in rural areas a fullv-qualified drill instructor l>e appointed to all districts, full consideration to ibe given to the number of 1 (ranches of the force that lie can reasonably handle. This would not interfere with the present system of local leaders. The present proposal is placing such leaders in an impossible position. To do their duty properly they cannot avoid offending as they havi to live in their districts. The O.C. troops has his officers and N.C.O.'s to attend to the actual work of training. The natural objection is that ef expense, but considering the efficiency gained the cost would, under present world condition*, be negligible. Each branch could send one of its members to a training school, or if he happened to be an old soldier to a refresher school. This would delay matters and would in no way get over the difficulty of local man versus stranger. W. B. GUMMING.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19401129.2.66.1

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 284, 29 November 1940, Page 6

Word Count
441

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS. Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 284, 29 November 1940, Page 6

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS. Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 284, 29 November 1940, Page 6

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