EMERGENCY PLAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23759, 12 September 1940, Page 11

EMERGENCY PLAN

WAIKATO PRECAUTIONS RESIDENTS' ENTHUSIASM VARIATIONS FROM ORIGINAL ' [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Wednesday A statement that the emergency precautions scheme in the Waikato, praised by the Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, at a meeting last night, was .based on quite different principles from those of the original precautions, was issued to-day by the organisers. The scheme has been adopted by the Hamilton Borough Council and the Waikato, Raglan, Waipa and Matamata County Councils, says the statement. People who have attended the many enthusiastic meetings held throughout the Waikato in recent months have been unanimous in their acceptance of the^scheme.

It is with the object of enabling civilians who, for various reasons, cannot join the Home Guard or the Women's War Service Auxiliary to assist jn the war effort that the Waikato emergency precautions scheme has been designed, continues the statement. Membership of the scheme is voluntary. In it everj'one selects the task for .which he considers he is best fitted. Each member also elects his own leader, whom he promisea to obey in any time of emergency. In most of the country districts of the Waikato practically 90 per cent of the people have already become associated with the scheme. Inquiries about the scheme, which is arousing keen interest, have come from as far afield as the South Island, and there are indications that it will shortlv he adopted by other local bodies. Tlie secretary in Hamilton is Mr. W. L. Ranstead. MILITARY CAMPS VISITED NATIONAL SERVICE MINISTER [from OUR OWN correspondent] HAMILTON, "Wednesday The Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, inspected the temporary camp at the Claudelands showgrounds tnis morning, and later visited the Te Rapa and Ngaruawahia camps. When he returned to Hamilton, Mr. Semple said that there was no doubt that if Ngaruawahia was to become a permanent camp improvements were necessary. No decision as to the permanency or otherwise of the camp had yet been made, hut he was instructing the Public Works Department to prepare a report on the improvements necessary so as to have everything in readiness if it was decided to make it a permanent camp.

FOURTH REINFORCEMENTS MOBILISATION DATE UNKNOWN [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, "Wednesday No information is yet available when the Fourth Reinforcements will be called up to enter mobilisation camps for training. This will depend on the duration of the measles epidemic, which has affected military camps aa well as a section of the civil population. MAORIS AND HOME GUARD [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Wednesday "Maoris will be in the Home Guard on a 50-50 basis," said the Minister of National Service, the Hon. R. Semple, at a meeting held in Hamilton last night to discuss the formation of a Home Guard. "They have their kumara patches to defend, and they will fight alongside their pakeha brother," he continued. Mr. Semple was replying to a question as to whether Maoris could join the movement. CHAPLAIN'S APPOINTMENT It is announced that the Rev. H. G. Taylor, vicar of Kaitaia, has joined the New Zealand military forces as a chaplain. He will enter Papakura camp to-day. Mr. Taylor graduated with the degree of B.A. at Auckland University College and took orders at St. John's College. He was later curate at St. Barnabas' Church, Mount Eden, and afterward vicar of Bombay and chapplain to St. Stephen's College. For a year before going to Kaitaia he was assistant-priest at St. Simon's, Bethnal Green, in the East End of London.