A LEAD AWAITED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 117, 20 May 1939, Page 11

A LEAD AWAITED

EMERGENCY PLANS

PUBLIC SHOULD BE TOLD

The contention that the public were awaiting a definite lead from the Government about what would be required of them in the event of a national emergency has been made by Mr. C. S. Falconer, director of organisation for the Order c " St. John. He appealed to the Minister of Internal Af' fairs to acquaint the people of the emergency precautions scheme so that each individual would know what his duties were if and when a disaster such as an earthquake occurred.

Mr. Falconer said that after the Hawke's Bay earthquake in 1931 the Government and the municipal authorities drew up an emergency scheme which could be put : into operation after a natural disaster arising from earthquake, fire, or epidemic, and which might apply in the event of an air raid.; A Wellington citizens' committee had published a brochure outlining the organisation and had collected data for use by various committees. Those committees, were concerned with supplies, transportation, medical and public health, 19W, and order, public utilities, communications, works and water, fire, accommodation and evacuation, finance and records, and publicity and information.

Subsequently the emergency precautions committee of the. New Zealand Organisation for National . Security drew, up a Dominion emergency precautions scheme, based).on the Wellington proposals. - Copies were sent by the Minister uf Internal Affairs to the Mayors of the. principal towns in the Dominion, but the .public had not been taken into the confidence of the authorities.

Recently the Mayors of several cities had conferred with the organisations set up under the scheme, but though the proposals were most satisfactory on paper and a credit to those who compiled them, no actual demonstration had been attempted. There was an urgent necessity for that to be done.

It was imperative, added Mr. Falconer, that thdse who had been allocated duties under the scheme should have a full and proper knowledge of their obligations. Though the Minister of Internal Affairs had asked the Mayors for suggestions, he had given no final instructions about his proposals. ■■■•'• ■.■■■■•■•