DEFAULTERS WARNED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20864, 17 August 1942, Page 2

DEFAULTERS WARNED

E.P.S. PARADES LOSSES TO HOME GUARD Disciplinary action against some members of the Metropolitan E.P.S. organisation who have failed to attend training is being considered, said tire chairman of the organising executive of the Metropolitan E.P.S. Mr. W. Machin, at Christchurch. Fie said members of the Home Guard were requmed to give 24 hours’ service monthly, and it should not be unreasonable to expect E.P.S. personnel to give the same amount of time. Actually they were, in many cases, not asked to give as much time as that. E.P.S. personnel were required by law .to attend parades and trials when required to do so by thencontrollers. “We do not want to have tb fine them for dereliction of duty, but it may become a regrettable necessity,” said Mr. Machin. “We cannot tell yet how badly we are going to be affected, but it appears that a complete reorganisation of the personnel of .the Metropolitan E.P.S. will be necessary after the transfers to the Home Guard have been completed,” said Mr. E. PI Andrews, Mayor of Christchurch and District Controller. Shortage of personnel had been a difficulty all along, said Mr. Andrews, and it was going to be a much bigger problem now that large numbers of men in the E.P.S organisation wercbeing transferred to .the Home Guard The Home Guard was taking the larger part of the E.P.S. organisation’s fitter men, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to replace them with women, because of the claims of other services. Women in the E.P.S. too, were rapidly becoming absorbed in these avenues of service.