SUMNER AND THE E.P.S.

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23764, 9 October 1942, Page 4

SUMNER AND THE E.P.S.

SEPARATE ORGANISATION WANTED

COMMENT BY DISTRICT CONTROLLER

“Unreasonable and illogical” was the description applied by the District E.P.S. Controller (Mr E. H. Andrews) yesterday to the definition given by the Mayor of Sumner (Mr J. E. Tait) of Sumner's attitude to the Metropolitan E.P.S.’ At the meeting of the central committee of the E.P.S. on Wednesday Mr Tait said, when the borough’s unpaid contribution to E.P.S. funds was mentioned, that this outstanding levy could be written off. Sumner, said Mr Tait, desired to control its own E.P.S. affairs. Mr Andrews, questioned by a reporter of "The Press" yesterday, said it seemed an extraordinary thing that Mr Tait should attend central committee meetings, take part in discussions and vote, and act as representative of Sumner on the committee, and then say that Sumner did not belong to the Metropolitan E.P.S. If Sumner thought it had a case for becoming a separate organisation the proper procedure was to make application to the Minister, and Mr Andrews said he had already told Mr Tait that he would not object to him following such a course. The other side of the story was that in the opinion of those believed best competent to judge Sumner could not possibly operate as a separate organisation. The Sumner E.P.S., said Mr Andrews, had received a great deal of equipment from the Metropolitan E.P.S., and the borough would suffer if it was constituted as a separate organisation. The whole matter, he concluded, had been handed to the organising executive of the Metropolitan E.P.S. for a report. The executive would have the opportunity of studying the full correspondence on the subject and all the various reports.