Official Encroachments
The beginning of the war led to the creation of local emergency A.R.P. committees which have been entrusted with wide powers and have been assuming more rather than less authority as time has passed, and not only in vulnerable areas. Duties which in normal times have belonged to the local councils have increasingly been taken over by these new committees of irresponsible officials who are not answer- able to any elected body. Complaints have been made that in some areas the committees, led by Controllers, have vir- tually superseded the local authorities, and that the latter are left with little to do but collect the rates. As far as possible the councils ought to continue to conduct their work in respect of education, health, transport, &c., and so far as duties are taken over by officials of the A.R.P. committees these should be under Council control. A great deal of officialdom is inevitable in time of war, but unnecessary encroachments should not be allowed, and as far as possible local government should be left in the hands of the demo- cratically elected authorities.
Previous page
