EMERGENCY SCHEME

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 239, 4 July 1940, Page 6

EMERGENCY SCHEME

Opportunity For Older Men ARRANGEMENTS IN AUCKLAND Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND, July 8. With Territorials going into eamp and ex-servicemen pouring into the home defence organization, many men. cltrssed as unlit for military service of any kind or too old to perform any military duty, are asking what they can do in a national emergency. They will find their opportunity very soon. This week a booklet will be issued to all citizens outlining the Emergency Precautions Scheme that has been devised, and as soon as possible thereafter meetings will be called by mayors and other appointed authorities at which local organization will be set in train. The first such meeting topk place yesterday. A prominent man said yesterday: “Here am I, too old to serve as a soldier, but with organizing experience and also with a big motor-car and the ability to drive it. Obviously there must be a job for me, but if an emergency were sounded tonight X do not know where to go or what to do. I fit’tier, if some stranger gave me an order I might not be sure that he was not a member of the Fifth Column. What every district should know immediately is the name of the local authority—and that authority should be someone familiar to everybody likely to be concerned.” Enemy Menace. The same feeling has been expressed in dozens of places during the last few days. The answer to all of them is the statement of the Auckland town clerk, Mr. James Melling, that following -the issue of the Emergency Precautions Scheme booklets this week, local organizations will be launched at public meetings. There, everything about which there may be doubt will be explained and all suggestions examined. The sense of increased enemy menace has produced a new standard of unofficial vigilance in regard to. aliens and potential traitors. Strong dissatisfaction with Government measures in this connexion has been expressed in a number of places, and there will be no lack of civilian co-operation witli the police should they find it necessary to take further steps to straighten out the home front.

Twenty-three bodies in the metropolitan area intimated their willingness to pay contributions totalling £B7ll as a first instalment of the cost of the emergency precautions scheme, stated a report made at a meeting of mayors and chairmen of Auckland local bodies and public utility authorities yesterday. Tlte contributions had been assessed on a basis of £-1000 found by the city council and lesser amounts by the rest pro rata according to a system previously used for other purposes.