FIRE-WATCHING ORDER

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23806, 27 November 1942, Page 4

FIRE-WATCHING ORDER

, ♦ “E.P.S. SYSTEM RUINED ” MAYOR EXPRESSES CONCERN “The order to institute continuous fire-watching has 1 ruined the system we had and put nothing in its place, said the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews) at a meeting of the central committee of the Metropolitan E.P.S. yesterday. Mr Andrews said continuous « r ®" watching was introduced very suddenly, and shortly after the dispute over the organising committee, “Many of the people are we will take the risk and not do it, tne Mayor continued. "They are as rebellious and resentful as they can be. Referring to a suggestion that firewatchers could sleep, which he said had been made by the Minister of Civil Defence '(the Hon. D. Wilson), the Mayor said: "To go to sleep is not fire-watching. We had a system oy which they did watch.” , Mr Andrews said that if fire guards did not do the job properly they could be fined by the E.P.S., but he did not know how they could fine large numbers of people or collect the fines. “To-day we have no dependable fire-watching system,” the Mayor concluded. “It is an unhappy position, and I am deeply concerned about it. "I must contradict your statement that the Commercial Fire Guard ruined, but I am prepared to admit that it’s on the road to ruin, said Mr A M. Hollander, chairman of the Commercial Fire committee, “Let me leave it at that.’ Mason, Struthers and Company wrote expressing appreciation of the efforts of the Mayor to prevent continuous fire-watching. We think the attitude of the Government is regrettable and trust a very firm stand will be made by all concerned against the attitude of the Minister and the unreasonable nature of the regulations, stated the letter, GOVERNMENT OFFICES FIRE GUARD PROVISION Responsibility for seeing that firewatching is performed in Government offices in Christchurch has been placed on the Metropolitan E.P.S., according to a letter received by the organisation yesterday from the Director of National Service (Mr J. S. Hunter). The letter stated that, if difficulty was experienced by the E.P.S. in arranging a suitable guard, the Minister should be advised. As the E.P.S. had no direct control, building organisers should be appointed by the Government E.P.S. controller with the approval of the E.P.S. fire organiser. Building organisers so appointed would be legally obliged to co-operate.