MANPOWER FOR CIVIL DEFENCE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 117, 11 February 1941, Page 6

MANPOWER FOR CIVIL DEFENCE

The question of manpower for the civil defence services of this country is again brought into prominence by the announcement that the Government intends to form an Auxiliary Fire Service on a similar basis to the Territorial Forces.” Wellington alone is to have 450 of these auxiliary firemen. They are to form a body sepaiate from—though supplementary to —the regular Fire Brigade. Seemingly they will be the second line of fire-fighting defence, the thiid line of which will be the fire-patrol units of the Civil Guard. If this be the plan, it has the appearance of being a commendably thorough one. But, of course, it is only part of the larger plan of civil preparedness in which important training is being arranged for a large number of units of many kinds. The Home Guard has its military formations and is to be required to supply volunteers for training in emergency transport control. The Civil Guard, besides being called upon to establish fire-fighting units, is looked to for ambulance trainees, district wardens, patrol wardens, spotters, special police and supplementary works units. The units are required for the city as well as for the suburbs. In addition to all this the Emergency Precautions Scheme (the vital civic defence scheme) is absorbing or will absorb —every available man whose ordinary occupation has trained him to be of essential service in an emergency. In this latter category come wiremen, drainlayers, transport drivers, gasworks employees—practically all those connected with public utilities. It is one thing to have a plan, but it is another thing to have the manpower necessary. for its proper development. Where is the civilian manpower for this growing multitude of duties? So far, under the method of appeal for volunteers from our civilian citizens, the response has been nothing like adequate. Lately it has improved, but the improvement would have to be twofold or threefold if the plan is to develop fully. And there is nothing to indicate that such improvement is in the offing. Meanwhile, hundreds of men, called by ballot but rejected for military .service either for medical reasons. 01 because they are engaged in essential civilian occupations, are being freed from any special national obligation. Thousands of others, not yet within ballot categories, are lacking a lead; there is no call to interim duties in the civil defence sphere. ■ According to the announcement of the Auxiliary hire Service scheme, “it is proposed to enlist suitable men who have been, or will be, called up in the ballots and who for any reason are exempted from military service.” What does this mean? Does it simply mean that such men will be approached and appealed to for service in the A.F.S.. or is this to be the first of a series of obligatory duties for those who are not called upon to serve in the armed lot CCS? It is to be hoped that the latter will turn out to be the case. Furthermore it will be in accordance with the strong convictions of a giowing section of the people if obligatory service in every civilian emergency defence corps, as and when required, is made the rule foi all citizens. If this be done the schemes now being prepared can be put into operation with a minimum waste of time and words, and with goo prospect of adequacy and efficiency. If not-if the community and all those working for the safety of it are to be saddled with y he additional task of winning enrolments by the slow process of wheedling and the example of the enthusiastic few—it is difficult to suppose tha anything but a skeleton of what may eventually be required in the way of home defence and emergency service can be created in the coming months of the present momentous year.