The Invercargill E.P.S.

Southland Times, Issue 24650, 23 January 1942, Page 4

The Invercargill E.P.S.

THERE WILL BE general satisfaction at the avoidance of what could only have been described as an untimely blunder by the Invercargill City Council in its relations with the local Emergency Precautions Service. The resolution passed by the council at its meeting on Tuesday night may not have been intended to question the status of the Chief Controller; but if it had any other meaning it was not made sufficiently clear, and it placed Mr Macalister in an impossible position. If his resignation had been accepted the results that have been attained by his careful work would have been endangered. There would have been controversy and dissension and a decline of efficiency at a time when the E.P.S. may be close to the test of an actual emergency. The enemy is now very near to Australia; there is no part of the South Pacific which can be said to be outside the danger zone. It is too late in the day to raise questions of authority and control which most people imagined were disposed of in the early days of the movement. As the deputation of controllers pointed out in its resolution, the civic authorities are represented on the central executive by the Mayor and the town clerk, and the city engineer is the executive officer of the Works Committee. The function of the Chief Controller is essentially one of co-ordination. Since he took over this exactingZask the organization of the E.P.S. has shown a marked improvement. Moreover, his work

will be even more necessary and important now that the Government has announced the compulsory expansion of the services. There is no reason why a representative of the Finance Committee of the City Council should not be appointed to the central executive; but this can be done without calling into question a system of control which has been proved notably successful. Fortunately, the special meeting of the council enabled the misunderstanding to be removed. Although the incident need not have occurred, it cannot be altogether regrettable if it emphasizes the only point about the E.P.S. which really matters today: the need for an efficiency that will keep pace with an expanding organization.