HOME GUARD OR E.P.S?

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4560, 15 April 1942, Page 5

HOME GUARD OR E.P.S?

MANPOWER PROBLEM OTOROHANGA DISCUSSION The delay of the Government in issuing regulations to translate into action the proposal to enable men in the E.P.S. to be transferred to the Home Guard or vice versa occasioned some discussion at the meeting of the Otorohanga E.P.S. on Monday last. The chairman (Mr V. W. Simms) said that there were from 400 to 500 registration cards in the County office for the E.P.S., but the matter of classifying these had of necessity been held up pending the publication of the regulations mentioned above. They did not need all these men in the E.P.S. and there was no doubt a good percentage should be transferred to the Home Guard, which should have first call on a great number of these men. However, they were held up in the* County office awaiting authority to deal, with them. Mr E. G. Watson (Wharepuhunga) thought the men could be divided between the two services on a 50-50 Mr G. S. Ellis (Town Clerk) said that he and Mr S. J. Fortescue (secretary to the E.P.S.) could, in the meantime, go through the registrations and pick out the men over 45 years of- age for the E.P.S. Mr Angus Jamieson said that, so far as the country districts were concerned, the County riding members were better qualified, by reason of their local knowledge, to “sort out” the men. Mr F. Phillips agreed with the latter view. Mr H. E. Lawrence mentioned that in the Kawhia County, the E.P.S. only functioned. The chairman said it was a pity that there had not been one organisation only to cover the lot. Mr Watson asked what knowledge the authorities had of any man who defaulted ? Riding members should check up on that point. Mr A. Gallagher (Ngahape) remarked that an employer was responsible if his employee defaulted. Mr Phillips thought that about twothirds of the men registered for the E.P.S. should be in the Home Guard. On the motion of Mr Phillips, seconded by the chairman, it was agreed to write to the Director of National Service requesting him to clarify the position, especially in regard to the right to draft E.P.S. men to the Home Guard. The chairman said that in the meantime the E.P.S. registrations could be sorted up and each riding member could then go through them and thus help to bring finality to the ultimate allocation of the personnel.