HOME GUARD NEWS and NOTES

Waikato Independent, Volume XLI, Issue 3946, 22 December 1941, Page 5

HOME GUARD NEWS and NOTES

(By "Guardsman") p

WOMEN'S WAR WORK MUST BE THROUGH W.W.S.A. A memorandum has beeri ! issued by the Director of National Service to the Adjutant-General, the Naval Secretary and the Air Secretary to the effect that the Women s' War Service Auxiliary is to be the only official organisation for the coordination and allocation of women 's war work in the Dominion. Although this memorandum, which is printed below in full, is addressed to the heads of the armed services only, it is, understood that it has general application to civilian' emergency work also. The text of the announcement is as follows: ,f '' "I am directed to advise'you that War Cabinet has directed that the Women's War Service Auxiliary is to be the only bfficial organisation for the co-ordination and allocation of women's war work in the Dominion, and that the utilisation of women's organisations for any s voluntary war work must in all cases be arranged through the Auxiliary. "In cases where proposals have Dominion-wide application the initial arrangements are to be made with the National Service Department. • The Dominion Central Ex- ( ecutive of the Auxiliary in Wellington will then be fully apprised. of the steps to be taken, and it will miake the necessary arrangements, through its District Committees. .. "Where assisance in relation to voluntary war work has been approved and has local significance only, your local officers should be Instructed to contact the respective District Committees of the Auxiliary. Keep in Constant "The Women's War Service Aux--iliary has been instructed to keep in constant touch with all interested branches of the Armed Forces to ensure that when assistance is required the functions are allocated to the. appropriate bodies in accordance with the general policy already laid down. "I shall be pleased, therefore, if . you will advise your officers of the contents of this memorandum and inform them that in future no war work is to be arranged with any individual women's organisation, but reference in all cases must be made to the National ..Service Department for action by the Women's, . War Service Auxiliary in accordance with War Cabinet direction.

Direction Must* Apply ' "This direction must apply to the selection of women for work in any branch of the Armed Forces involving general policy replacement of men by Auxiliary Corps such as the W.A.A.F., V.A.'s, etc., but does not include the employment of ordinary civil staff usually authorised by the Public Service Commissioner or other such authority. "It does include, however, any re- » placement whereby voluntary workers such as transport drivers, canteen workers and the like may be required. "As indicated above, the National Service Department will be the official channel of communication, but the actual apportionment of the work and the selection of personnel will be done by the W-W.S.A. working under a policy laid down by the Government whereby old established, and other appropriate organisations are to be utilised for whatever service may .be required." HOME GUARD EXPENSES COUNTY COUNCIL DISCUSSION

"We must appreciate the fact that this money has not /been expended unnecessarily," saidCr W. A. Rushton at the monthly- meeting of the Piako County Council recently, when the chairman, ,CrW. C. Kennedy, reported -that of. the £l5O voted at Paeroa to Home Guard Headquarters at Morrinsville only £SO had been spent.'. Cr Kennedy added; that possibly the unspent balance of the money granted, of which the Piako County Council had contributed £39, would be refunded to the local bodies concerned. '■••"■.* It was understood that a meeting of contributing local body .representatives' would be called in the near future to consider the matter. It was the general opinion among councillors that the unspent balance of moneys should be refunded.