PREPARING FOR EMERGENCY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23055, 25 June 1940, Page 12

PREPARING FOR EMERGENCY

CONTROL OF ESSENTIAL SERVICES A DOMINION-WIDE ORGANISATION (PRESS ASSOCIATIOB TELEGRAM.) ; WELLINGTON, June 24. “For some time the Government has recognised the necessity for a Do-minion-wide organisation for control I in any locality of all essential services ! when these have been suspended or dislocated as a result of any natural disaster or by enemy action,” said the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) in a statement on the preparation of emergency precautions schemes. The first necessity in such case, said Mr Pax-ry, was the provision and dis- , tribuUon. ot food and other supplies and provision for public services. Second was the gradual restoration of the normal activities of the community. The Minister mentioned the work already done in anti-gas training, and said the following was the total number of persons who had received or were receiving instructions in air raid precautions; Northern Military District (Auckland and urban areas) 62, Central Military District (Wellington) 26, Southern Military District (Christchurch and Dunedin) 199. Total, 287. “I believe the work that has already been done and the ready response by local authorities and numerous other representative bodies and individuals is resulting in an organisation being set up fully prepared and fully equipped to cope with any emergency situation which may arise in any part of the Dominion,” he said.