E.P.S. TRAINING REDUCED

Southland Times, Issue 25703, 12 July 1943, Page 4

E.P.S. TRAINING REDUCED

PERSONNEL TO DROP BY 64 PER CENT

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 10. Far-reaching changes involving considerable reduction in service for Emergency Precautions Scheme and Emergency Fire Service presonnel have now been decided upon by the War Cabinet, the Minister of Civil Defence, the Hon. D. Wilson, announced today. The changes, he said, had been made possible by a continued improvement in the general situation in the Pacific, and were based on a careful review after the adjustments made in the Territorial Force and Home Guard.

It was still necessary to guard against possible danger from enemy action and consequently, in the rearrangement decided upon, adequate provision was made to retain an efficient civil defence machinery which could act promptly if needed, the Minister said. As it was considered that any danger would apply more to the main centres and secondary ports than to inland centres, basic establishments were to be retained only in areas likely to be subjected to the kind of enemy action contemplated, and to rely on the civic authorities entirely in other parts of the Dominion to maintain a sufficient organization to meet any contingency such as earthquakes, floods and so on. As there was no guarantee that the general position would not deteriorate, Emergency Precautions Services would have to be maintained under the general jurisdiction of the Minister of Civil Defence so that they could function if an emergency arose. TRAINING PLAN ABANDONED

The War Cabinet had decided that the training programme decided upon at the beginning of the year was not now necessary and consequently the compulsory universal training plan for first line units would be abandoned. In addition, the personnel required to serve in basic establishments would be reduced in the 25 areas by varying percentages averaging approximately 64 per cent. These front line units, which would amount to between 12,000 and 13,000, would be required to attend one parade a month only for the work of their own particular unit. The remainder of the personnel would be transferred to reserve. Districts were being asked to secure the required members from those willing to serve, but the principle of compulsory service had not been' abandoned.

The Minister said that the following centres were regarded as vulnerable areas: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Whangarei, Hamilton, Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, New 'Plymouth, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Masterton, Lower Hutt, Petone, Blenheim, Nelson, Westport, Greymouth, Lyttelton, Timaru, Oamaru, Invercargill, Bluff. The Government would pay subsidies in future only to those activities directly associated with a war emergency, and prior approval of all new expenditure would have to be obtained. Mr Wilson said that material reductions would also be made in the fire services and these would be announced shortly.