COMPULSION FOR E.P.S.

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

COMPULSION FOR E.P.S.

Minister Explains Method (Special) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 21. Explaining the method by which compulsion for service in the Emergency Precautions Services would be introduced, the Minister of National Service (the Hon. R. Semple) said in an interview yesterday that the man who did not care, folded his arms and allowed the other fellow to do the job of protecting the country would not be allowed to scrounge any longer on willing souls. “He will step into the E.P.S. organization and step on it—or give reasons why,” declared Mr Semple. If, say, Christchurch was short of 500 men for E.P.S. work, a warrant would be signed by him calling everybody outside of Army requirements into the E.P.S. organization, said the Minister. They would be called on to register at the nearest post office, where the declaration forms would be awaiting their signature. Officials of the E.P.S. would be empowered to examine all registrants and to ascertain the job for which they were best suited. The men would be given tasks for which they would be most fitted in an emergency. “No particular section will be called up—everybody will be called up, he said. “I place on the people the obligation to serve and the local E.P.S. organization decides whether and when they are to serve. “We have the choice of our freedom or a pot of rice, a hip cloth, and a rickshaw,” said Mr Semple, summarizing his views on the situation facing New Zealand and the necessity for thorough organization to meet every emergency. In his visits to many parts of New Zealand—only the smaller towns and the counties had not been visited he had met some of the finest men and women in the Dominion, who, he said, were doing more than their whack and to them the grateful thanks of the country were due. They certainly had the grateful thanks of the Government. There was no need to worry about those men and women. They were prepared to do anything and to go anywhere they were ordered to serve their country. Compulsion was needed, however, to deal with those who did not care. SHORTAGE OF STAFF WORKERS The regulations making service in the E.P.S. compulsory Would be made effective forthwith, said Mr Semple. The question had been asked how compulsion would be applied. Before Christmas, the E.P.S. services m the places he had visited were between 15,000 and 20,000 short of the personnel considered necessary to develop the organization effectively to protect the lives and property of the people, to keep the cities and towns intact, to look after the injured and sick, and to maintain or deal with sewerage, electricity, water and gas services. “There was no use of talking at this late stage when the enemy was at our door or of running round the country and pleading for recruits, and the War Cabinet decided to introduce compulsion so that the organization could be efficient if the emergency arose, said the Minister. “We would rather have seen persons come into the organization voluntarily. In the past 12 months, thousands have failed to come in and we have no apologies to make to anybody for using compulsion. If it is right to send men overseas with their lives in forfeit, then it is unquestionably right that persons should be compelled to defend their country.” SHORTAGE OF STAFFING In his investigations, said the Minister, he found a shortage of staffing for essential public services such as water, sewerage, electricity, and gas. It would be necessary to have a team of men ear-marked and standing by for a call at a minute’s notice. If those men were not available, it would mean disaster for the town. He had found: that unless compulsion was used those men would not be ready for the job. Another question at the moment, ana he hoped power would be given, was that of the transference of men from the Home Guard to the E.P.S. and viceversa. Without that power, the organization could not be efficient, in his opinion. His task had been to find weaknesses in the organization and when they were found his duty was to take powers to make it 100 per cent, efficient. “If it is not efficient, the lives of our people are in jeopardy because the E.P.S. has to play an important part if bombing or invasion comes our way, said Mr Semple. The grim and brutal truth was that New Zealand was in the danger zone; and in the defence of New Zealand everybody had a job to do and a place to fill. If persons would not' serve voluntarily in the defence of their country, only one thing was left to a Government interested in their safety—and that was to compel thenservice.