RESERVE CORPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 58, 5 September 1940, Page 13

RESERVE CORPS

MINISTER'S TOUR

LOCAL BODIES 7 SUPPORT

Appreciation of the support accorded by local bodies in connection with the establishment of the Emergency Reserve Corps was expressed by the associate Minister of National Service (the Hon. D. Wilson) yesterday, on his return from a North Island tour during which he discussed the question with local body representatives. Mr| Wilson addressed meetings at Masterton, Napier, Gisborne, Whakatane, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Hawera, Wanganui, Paeroa, and Whangarei. It is his intention to hold four more meetings, at Hamilton, Te Kuiti, Palmerston North, and Wellington. The Minister said that practically all the meetings he had attended had passed resolutions supporting the Government in its proposals with respect to both the Home Guard and the Emergency Precautions Organisation, and pledging their wholehearted support. It had been found that most local authorities had already taken definite action in connection with the formation of the emergency precautions organisations, and in several instances full committees had been set up and a complete organisation mapped out according to the regulations. Mr. Wilson mentioned that one of the points which he had endeavoured to impress on local body representatives was the advisability, when accepting enrolments in the Home Guard, of being particularly careful not to interfere with the emergency precautions organisation, where • such had been established. In those localities where the organisation for emergency precautions had not already been fully developed, he had suggested that the local committee should decide whether volunteers were more suitable for the emergency precautions organisation, or for the Home Guard, and above all avoid enrolling prospective members in both. There had already been prepared an enrolment form for the Home Guard, and while a number of local authorities had prepared individual enrolment forms for the emergency precautions scheme, to ensure uniformity the National Service Department now had in hand the preparation of an emergency precautions scheme enrolment form for use by local committees. | The associate Minister said that he had also stressed that the Government desired local authorities to have as much local autonomy as possible, and to secure the utmost flexibility of control it was suggested that such considerations as geographical features and community of interests should be taken into account when fixing the localities to be included in any particular area. The centres at which meetings had been held had appointed provisional committees to delimit the area and to function till each local committee appointed its representatives on the permanent area committee. In the appointment of committees local body representatives had been urged to secure the representation of all sections of the community, such as the New Zealand Farmers' Union, the workers' organisations, the Returned Soldiers' Association, and the business people. If this were done it was felt that entire unanimity would be obtained, a factor which was absolutely essential for the complete success of both the Home Guard and the emergency precautions organisation.