OROUA COUNTY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 90, 15 March 1941, Page 4

OROUA COUNTY

COUNCIL BUSINESS. At a meeting of the Oroua County Council, on Thursday, Cr. A. Campbell presided and other members present wero Crs. T. Green,. W. S. Page, B. MeLcod, R. Stewart, A. B. Shannon and W. L. McLennan. , The Public Works Department asked for a statement of estimated current year's expenditure for all main and State highways.—The engineer (Mr R. L. Harding) said that except in one instance all expenditure would be close to the estimates. The same department asked that all claims for subsidies on main highways be forwarded immediately. It was stated that the steel for the W.iituna bridge, was on hand but that the contractor had not made a start with the work. It was decided to seek expedition with the work as it is essentially a. summertime undertaking. The chairman said that there was a certain amount of filling to be done and that could not be proceeded with until the bridge structuro was well undor way. . It was decided that a suitable notice board be supplied to the Halcombo Home Guard committee.—The chairman said the tialcombe area had done splendid work in enrolments. Regarding expenses incurred by Home Guard committees for advertising, the Bunnythorpe committee asked the' council to pay the accounts. The fhairman said that the advertising referred to was really on benalf of the County Council and it was decided to accede to the request. The chairman of the Bunnythorpe Home Guard Committee wrote asking that the unit be transferred to the Palmerston North area. It was j>ointcd out that as the telephones in Bunnythorpe wero connected with the city exchange. The change was agreed to, the cfiairman stating that the central Homo Guard Committee in Feilding had discussed the matter. Reporting on a meeting of the central Home Guard Committee, the chairman said that, the question of rifles being supplied to guardsmen had been dismissed and it was felt that residents should make available any firearms in their possession. The question of supplying boots and uniformn had also been discus'sed and the Government had promised to make available the latter. Dealing with transport vehicles available in the county, tno chairman said that most of these had been impressed for an indefinite period. Cr. MeLcod said that the impressment had nothing to do with the Home Guard. Cr. MeLennan a.-ked where vehicles could be-o'otaincd now that the Government had impressed them toi the use of the Army. In an emergency, said Mr K. M. Little, adjutant to the sub-area commander (Captain C. H. MeLcod) the Home Guard would bo the responsibility of the Army, which would absorb the guardsmen into the Army. Meanwhile, it was the responsibility of the respective unit commanders to make their own arrangements for transport for training operations. The setting up of personnel to control• transport in the Feilding district would take place at a. meeting to bo held shortly. At present, however, the position regarding the n vail ability of transport hod been affected by the impressment of vehicles. A supply of pamphlets dealing with the functions of the Home Guard and the E.P.S. organisation was received from the National Service Department, it being pointed out that in eases where "key" men were attested in the Homo Guard they should be released so as to be available for E.P.S. work, for which they were specially qualified. The engineer (Mr Harding) said that it would be wrong for him to take office in the Homo Guard as, should an emergency occur, he would be required for other essential work in the county. Ho pointed out that, in the Feilding area, it might be necessary for certain men in control of Homo Guard work to be relieved of such obligations, otherwise there would be chaos.