The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1941. APATHY IN CIVIL PRECAUTIONS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 142, 12 March 1941, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1941. APATHY IN CIVIL PRECAUTIONS

• Yet another example of the difficulty of organizing the Emergency Precautions Scheme, without authority to bring about some degee of community discipline, is provided by the announcement (published yesterday) that there has been next to no response to the Wellington City Council’s offer to supply ' dry, non-salt sand to householders. The civic departments, assisted by' volunteer organizers, are trying to translate the E.P.S. into efficient reality. In order that this may be done, the first requirement is a minimum personnel numbering in the vicinity of 6000. The second requirement is the co-operation of householders and owners.of city premises. Neither of these fundamental requirements has been met. After innumerable appeals, spread over a period of months, E.P.S. enrolments are still far short of the required minimum. And now the public is displaying ‘‘almost complete apathy” in the matter of obtaining the first, simple item of E.P.S. equipment, namely, sand. The people are not wholly to blame in this matter. Nothing breeds apathy like an indecisive, unconvincing example. The civic authorities, who appear to be doing their best to further the organization, are hardly in a position to set the right example, because the system of E.P.S. enrolments, the conditions of service, and the methods of securing public co-operation, are questions of national policy—calling for national direction. This direction must come from the .Government. Yet, in spite of the numerous recent disclosures of the delays and difficulties in bringing the E.P.S. into being, and tip to strength, the Minister of Manpower (Mr. Semple) remarked in Invercargill a day or two ago that he was “very satisfied.” ■' It has been said that, apathy in E.P.S. matters is difficult to overcome in view of the seeming long odds against an actual enemy attack on a New Zealand town. That may be so, but it is not the point. The point is that the leaders of this country by encouraging (as far as/they have done) the formation of the E.P.S. have acknowledged the need for preparation to meet possible attack. Therefore, it is their duty to see that the country prepares—and prepares adequately. As far as Wellington .is concerned there seems little prospect of adequate preparation without discipline, combined with at least a degree of obligatory service. In the matter of procuring sand, the issue of a regulation containing provision for penalty in the event of non-compliance after a given date would settle something which, otherwise, may drag on fdr months, involving innumerable inquiries and exhortations. In the matter of manpower for both the Home Guard and the E.P.S., a system of complete registration and classification would meet the position efficiently, equitably and with a minimum of inconvenience to the community as a whole. In view of all that the Prime Minister and other members of Cabinet have said from time to time in support of the principle of complete national organization and what is- called “universal” service, it is both puzzling and exasperating that there should be reluctance to extend such a principle to measures for home security. The two attitudes conflict, and’ so far no effort has been made even to explain Jvhy two'conflicting attitudes should be displayed.