PROBLEM FOR E.P.S.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 118, 22 May 1942, Page 4

PROBLEM FOR E.P.S.

SHORTAGE OF PERSONNEL e HOME Gl ARD REQUIREMENTS r No finality was reached at a special i. meeting of the Wanganui E.F.b. jlx- •- ecutive last night wnen the question ol iorming a hew wardens' unit was I again considered. The organiser, Mr. g 1. Manley, said that because oi the j potential shortage of manpower, due c j to Home Guard requirements under tne compulsory enrohnent system, he I doubted whether anything could be accomplished in the meantime. s At a previous meeting oi the ex- • ecutive Air. Manley reported that tne J duties ol the Lun and Order Unit were already ridiculously onerous anu t should be lightened. [. The deputy cnairman. Mr. J. J. j S| Scott, wno presided in tne absence ot e the Mayor, Hon. vV. J. Rogers, M.L.C., n said that the Home Guard Selection Committee would begin its work next ~ Monday and would meet four nights a week till the selection was compiel- *’ ed. It. was thought that this might 1 lake three months to accomplish. ‘ "I don’t think we could iorm a new a wardens' unit before we know what personnel we shall have lell at our disposal,’’ Mr. Scott added. I, The Controller of the Law and is Order Unit. Inspector J. A. Dempsey, I. said it was not the function ot his is section to patrol the streets on behalf of the Lighting Controller, but this i_ work was done voluntarily. He added ls that he regretted that the selection of 0 personnel lor the Home Guard, which ' C I would reduce the ranks ol the E.P.S. I_ would take three months to complete. In his unit there was considerable tiniest as certain personnel eligible lor Home Guard service did not know if. a or when, they would be transferred '' from the E.P.S. The future of the a Law and Order Unit must be planned ir according to the number of mon avail--10 able. If the strength of this unit were reduced too much il might not be post. si'ole to provide patrols in the city. I, Group wardens in the section, howti ever, were anxious to do everything io possible and were prepared to take on ■e other E.P.S. duties. Inspector Demp:e sey added that he would go into the ?- question in the near future with group 15 wardens. ie Mr. Manlex said he had attended meetings of other E.P.S. units and had ,1 experienced the same feeling of unn rest referred to by Inspector Dempsey. >1 It would be ridiculous for the Home s Guard sole; lion to take three months, n and such delay would retard the E.P.S. v organisation. Everything possible was being done by the E.P.S. to facilitate e the change-over. Lists of men bcn tween the ages of 35 and 51 for whom j. the E.P.S. intended appealing had already been prepared.