RIFLES WANTED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 20 February 1941, Page 6

RIFLES WANTED

FOR HOME GUARD

AN URGENT NEED | PRIME MINISTER'S APPEAL [United Press Association! Wellington This Day. ! An urgent appeal to all owners of j serviceable .803 rifles to place them voluntarily at the disposal of the Government for use by the Home Guard was ! made by the Prime Minister, who add;ed that the equipping of the Home Guard with rifles in addition to meeti ing the needs of the armed forces was ! becoming increasingly difficult. In fact ; with the increased arms requirements of the continually growing numbers | of men joining up it had been found impracticable to make an adequate ! supply available to the Home Guard, which now numbered more than 66.000, with hundreds more volunteering | every day. The army authorities had already released a large number of rifles for the use of the Home Guard, said Mr Fraser, but many more were needed. ‘There is no need to stress the fact.” said Mr Fraser, “that it is absolutely essential that rifles should be available not only for actual use should the necessity arise but also for training purposes now. Rifles are by no means however, the only weapons in modern warfare and training in these and other arms have received full attention, but so far as the increasing usefulness of the Home Guard is concerned I would like to emphasise that it is highly desirable that they should have more rifles now.” From a recent survey, Mr Fraser continued, it was known that there were approximately 20,000 privatelyowned rifles in the Dominion and if these were made available they would ease the situation very considerably and it was to these owners that appeal was addressed. Mr Fraser said he realised the very great care which owners, such as members of rifle clubs, bestowed on their rifles but in the present circumstances they should be willing to make every contribution to the common cause. Probably all marksmen would have already joined the Home Guard. If not ihe hoped they would lose no time in j doing so; but if they could not offer i their services he would at least ask them to lend their rifles. “It may be, of course,” said Mr Fraser, “that some rifle owners have failed to notify the police of the possession of weapons and therefore have rendered themselves liable for penalties. To those individuals I say, do not hesitate because you are afraid of being prosecuted. Uhder the circumstances I can assure you that action will not be taken against you.”

Mr Fraser added that the Government would undertake as soon as possible after the war ended to return the rifles in* good order and condition to the owners or replace them. The owners would receive official receipts and were urged to hand in the rifles to the nearest police station at the earliest date. The Government was empowered to requisition the rifles under the War Regulations, but felt confident that all owners who could would respond to the appeal.