LINKING UP PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 42, 13 November 1941, Page 6

LINKING UP PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

It is altogether in accordance with sound principle that local, precautionary measures for emergencies in this country should be linked up in a general plan. The conference in Wellington presided over by the Minister of National Service, Mr. Semple, and attended. by representatives of the fighting services, the Municipal and Counties Associations, and the mayors of the four metropolitan centres, had this object in view. It is a little surprising, in the circumstances, tnat this step was not taken at an earlier stage, for it was the obvious thing to be done, and the sooner the better. Now that the representatives of the local bodies have been taken into the confidence of the Government concerning the nature and requirements of the war situation, it should be possible to proceed with, greater energy and purpose with the task of organizing the precautionary measures into a coherent scheme. . A disjointed state of affairs obtained in the United Kingdom until it became obvious that the efforts of all local authorities concerned should conform to certain well-defined principles and that they should accept some form of general supervision. One of. the most important results of experience was the practical nationalizing of the fire-fighting services under a general executive. Only thus was it found possible to lay down general rules for the conduct of operations in emergencies, and to enable the authorities also to be able at shoi t notice to concentrate upon particular points when the necessity arose. Much was still left to local initiative in this and other aspects of emergency work, and it may be hoped that here, also, the importance of this will be recognized. The aim should be, and it appears that this was the object of the conference, to formulate a general plan of co-ordination, and leave to the local authorities that margin for initiative that in all voluntary effort is so conducive to the most satisfactory results.