The Dominion THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1941. THE E.P.S. AND THE PEOPLE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 125, 20 February 1941, Page 6

The Dominion THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1941. THE E.P.S. AND THE PEOPLE

Citizens of Wellington will have read with interest yesterdays published statement by the Mayor (Mr. Hislop) on the progress made with arrangements for household protection m the event of an enemy bombardment. The assurance that a system of public alarms is being devised, that the protection of school children is being discussed, that a circular containing instructions for the digging of private shelter-trenches is being prepared, that information about hre-iignt-ing is to be made available to householders, and that supplies ol sarfd will soon be distributed —all this should persuade the ptulic that the civic authorities, are actively at work and making tangible progress. “ 1 i In one respect, however, the mayor's statement was less emphatic than it might well have been. It made only a passing reference to the fact that 4000 men, in addition to those already enrolled, arc still required in Wellington if the E.P. scheme is to function m the adequate protection of both city and suburban areas. Possibly Air. Hislop felt that as he had already voiced this need on a number of public occasions the position would by now be generally understood. Unhappily, whether or not the position is understood, it is certainly not being rectified to anything like a satisfactory extent. Enrolments for E.P.S. duties are coming forward in such meagre driblets that subarea organization is being seriously delayed. Already there are far more posts waiting to be filled than there are volunteers to till them. Far too many citizens with time to spare, and with personal interest in the safety of the community arc asking what the E.P.S. is preparing to do for them, instead of asking themselves what they are prepared to do for the E.P.S. this attitude must be changed. There must be a general realization that the people cannot passive!} await the creation of a scheme to serve them, because they themselves —or a substantial number of them—are required to assist in the manning of the scheme. There is no one else to man it. The people are the scheme. If, in any sub-area, volunteers do not come forward out of the homes in that area, there will be no scheme for the special protection of those homes. There remains the question as to whether the voluntary response to appeals for enrolment, however earnestly they may be emphasized and repeated, will meet the position. At the end of January, afterweeks of propaganda, Wellington’s E.P.S. workers numbered barely one-third of the required total of 6000. Actually the response fioni private citizens was far short of 2000, inasmuch as a large number of the enrolled workers are City Corporation employees who, to theii great credit, joined the scheme practically as a body. , Speaking in round figures it is safe to assert that the scheme calls for five times the number of private citizen enrolments than it had attracted up to the end of last month. The Government, as the national authority and the only authority with power to act, should without delay face the problem of this disappointing shortage. It should give urgent consideration to some plan of obligatory service, at least by certain categories of citizens.