HOME GUARD AND E.P.S.

Southland Times, Issue 24649, 22 January 1942, Page 4

HOME GUARD AND E.P.S.

REMARKS AT QUEENSTOWN RESENTED Reference to remarks made recently at an E.P.S. meeting at Queenstown by Lieutenant-Colonel P. Mackenzie, Group Director of the Home Guard for Central Otago, was made by Mr D. Harris during a discussion at a meeting of the Invercargill Fire Board yesterday. Mr Harris said that Lieutenant-Col-onel Mackenzie was reported to have said that far too many able-bodied men, who should be in the National Military Reserve and Home Guard, were sheltering in the E.P.S., much of the work of which could be done by the thousands of enthusiastic women, who were capable and only too willing to assist. He had been speaking with a married man with a family, a member of the E.P.S., who had objected strongly to this, said Mr Harris. The man had said that he was doing his bit in the E.P.S. and he was not by any means sheltering behind the organization. “There seems to be some overlapping between the E.P.S. and the Home Guard and perhaps a certain amount of jealousy,” said Mr Harris. Cr R. T. Parsons: Mostly jealousy. At this stage the chairman of the board (Mr W. G. Tait) reminded the speakers that this was not the subject under discussion and called the meeting to order.