DOUSING THE SALVAGE CORPS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 4131, 28 September 1883, Page 2

DOUSING THE SALVAGE CORPS.

Tho Firo Inspector Admits that 110 Performod tho Operation.

I>- our report of the recent fire it- will be remembered that, referring to the fracas between tlio Tiro Brigade and Salvage Corps, we stated as follows :— lt lias since been said that the turning-oil of the hose was accidental, but it is scarcely necessary to' add that this was not so. It has further beensaid " that the hoss was swept round on the front of Williams's premises through a misconception of orders, and that thus the men alluded to were accidentally drenched. This statement is disposed of by the fact that it was not the branchmata who turned on the hose. Mr Hughes Fire Inspector, now confirm* our view of the matter,- as will be seen by the following extract from his report of the occurrence laid ! before the City Council last night i-A number of men entered Mr ™ra* private hof.se to remove Ins furniture, and Mr Williams informed them that 1 had given orders thrtt riothing « to bo removed, and that the fire would be confined to the .shops. He was knocked down, and although ho remonstrated with them, they still persisted in removing his good*. Seeing that these men were removing Mr \V lUiams s futniture, I called to them several times to stop doing so, but they took no notice ot it. I then put my hand oa to the branch, and directed the water on to Mr Williams s cottage so that the recoil of the water would giro them a' shower bath, which cleared them off, There is nothing like cold water, It brings a mob to thensenses. I regret very much that I had to take such a course, but the circumstances,' demanded strong measures for the protection of property that was being forcibly removed. After clearing them off, I went to the back of the premises, and on my return to the front, I found that some of them had returned to Mr "Williams's house, and were again removing goods. I asked why they still persisted in removing, and they «aid: "It is not our fault; it is the Salvage Corps man." T. Evans, the Salvage Corps man referred to, then came up, and I asked him the same question. He said: "I am carrying out my captain s orders." I asked him to find his captain, and toll him I had stopped the removing of Mr Williams's furniture. He replied he would not, but would carry out his orders. I asked him to go and bring his captain to me ;he replied :"I will see you d d first." I said: "If yo^still persist m removing, I will call p. policeman and have you removed "—not arrested, as stated in the papers. Councillor Crowthor then called out: "Hughes, don't do that; I will take him away." That ended tho affair, and there was" no more removing. In trying to stop some members of tho Salvage Corps and others from removing Mr Taylor's stock, which Captain Field and myself had ordered not to be removed, Mr Edward Lewis was insulted by ono of them, who refused to giro his name to Mr Lowis. This rushing into premises and recklessly removing goods must be put a stop to. It is tho cause of disorder and pilfering Tho Salvage Corps state they can do as they like, that they are independent of tho Firo Inspector. The Naval Artillery claim the right to assist them. Thus the orders of your Fire Inspector are set at defianco, and his endeavours to save tho destruction of property frustrated. There nmst bo no divided authority at a fire. If so, then there will bo an end to order and discipline. Some discussion followed the reading of the report. Crs. Garratt and Waddell considered the Salvage Corps had no status at fires, but Cr. Crowther, who gave a full description of Saturday night's conflagration, argued to the contrary, and desired the matter referred to a committee. He pointed out that the Salvage Corps possessed ad engine which they did not own, and which was often of great service. Only recently it had saved six cottages at Ponsonby when the Brigade had no other appliances.—Cr. Crowthor added that ho was present at the meeting of tho Firo Brigade, when Mr Hughes said he was " the man and the only man," that ho was over the Salvage Corps, and also over tho police at iires. Ho (Mr Crowthor) questioned that ruling at the time, and lie still quest broi it. Mr Hughes pointed out n clauso to him, but ho asked how were the police to obey him and the Municipal Police Act too. He could not agree with tho assertion that ho was the man and tho only man, and ho thought it desirable that whei people -Here saving valuable furniture, as they were in this instance, that Mr Hughes should take other means of having his orders obeyed than dousing them with water.—Cr. Garratt read the clause of the Act, and an amendment by Cr. Harper adopting tho report was agreed to.