More Info →Newspaper Article: Emergency Reserve Corps: District Proposals

C.V. Day 6380
5403

UST 23, 1940.

EMERGENCY CORPS

DISTRICT PROPOSALS

CONFERENCE TO BE HELD

Proposals now under considera-
tion for the application of the
Emergency Reserve Corps Regula-
tions to this district define the
area of which Palmerston North
will likely be headquarters as
extending from Otaki to the Ran-
gitikei River and to the northern-
most boundaries of the Oroua and
Pohangina counties. A meeting of
representatives of the local bodies
within this area is to be called in
the near future.

When the setting up of the Emer-
gency Reserve Corps was announced
by the Government the Mayor of Pal-
merston North (Mr A. E. Mansford)
wrote to the Minister of National Ser-
vice (Hon. R. Semple) offering full co-
operation in connection with the Gov-
ernment’s proposals in this direction.
In reply to this offer he has received
a letter from Hon. D. Wilson (Asso-
ciate Minister of National Service)
which states:
“It is proposed to call a meeting at
Palmerston North and this will be
done as soon as possible. It is desired
that at the Palmerston North meeting,
in addition to representatives from the
city of Palmerston North, there should
be at least three representatives from
each of the boroughs of Feilding,
Shannon, Foxton, Levin and Otaki,
and from each of the counties of Kiwi-
tea, Pohangina, Oroua, Manawatu,
Kairanga and Horowhenua.
“If convenient to the local authori-
ties, it is hoped that the Mayor (or
chairman) and the clerk will be two
of the representatives in each case. In
the case of the meetings arranged so
far, an invitation has been extended
to the members of Parliament in whose
electorates the local authorities are
situated.”
What will be the position of the Pal-
merston North Emergency Committee
under this expanded scheme is a point
on which information will be sought
at the meeting. In September last, at
the request of the Government, an
Emergency Committee was set up in
Palmerston North and a complete and
thoroughly detailed organisation evolve-
ed for the purpose of meeting any
emergency which might arise affecting
the community, this organisation be-
ing just as applicable to disruption
and damage by earthquake as other
causes. Since the committee finished
its initial task it has been more or
less in recess, but the organisation
has been held in readiness so that all
eventualities would be covered and so
that those sections which would oper-
ate first could move within a few min-
utes of a call being made on them.