Fire Officer Found Egg In His Boot

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30275, 30 October 1963, Page 10

Fire Officer Found Egg In His Boot

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 29. The placing of an unshelled egg in an officer’s boot was discussed during this afternoon’s proceedings in the inquiry into the alleged breakdown of industrial relations between the Wellington Fire Board and members of the Fire Brigadesmen’s Union.

The incident of the egg occurred last July, but it was also said in evidence that the same officer had his helmet nuggeted about four years ago.

The evidence provided light relief for the inquiry, set up under recently-enacted legislation. It is presided over by Judge Archer. Mr J. G. Churchill represents the Urban Fire Authorities Employers’ Union and Mr F. L. Fenton represents the Federation of Labour.

The committee of inquiry is charged to inquire generally into the dispute with particular reference to circumstances leading up to the dismissal of members of the brigade and the alleged breakdown of industrial relations between the parties. The attitude of the Chief Fire Officer, Mr J H. Henderson, to the egg incident is alleged to be one of the factors causing the breakdown. Mr T. M. Hill is representing the Fire Brigadesmen’s Union. Mr N. A. Morrison, the Wellington Fire Board, and Mr J. H. Dunn the Chief Fire Officer, the Deputy Chief Fire Officer and other officers of the brigade. Mr Hill said the board had a philosophy that everything it did was right. Not one appeal by the union in its history had ever been upheld by the board. Before the board, he was wrong on every submission but away from the benign atmosphere of the board three cases of independent arbitration had all been upheld. Mr Hill said.

Hartley Robert Paul O’Connor, a senior fireman, said he had been at Thorndon on the day of the egg incident. Mr Henderson,

Station Officer Bell and three other firemen, who formed the duty crew with him that day. were present. “Seemed Agitated”

Mr Henderson seemed agitated and annoyed and wanted to know who was responsible for putting an egg into Station Officer Little's boot. There had been no reply from any of the men present. O'Connor had asked how Mr Henderson was so positive that the egg was put Ln at Thorndon—Little was temporarily seconded from Central Station. Mr Henderson said he had Little’s assurance that it had occurred at Thorn don. To Judge Archer, O’Conrjor said he had known nothing about the matter until the Chief Fire Officer had mentioned it at this gathering. There had been no publicity until it appeared tn the newspapers the next day. The Chief Fire Officer kept insisting at this meeting that the man responsible shot Id come forward and when asked again whether it was not possible that the egg had been put tn somewhere else, said: “It could have been a chicken flying overhead which laid it in the first place." O'Connor said the Chief Fire Officer's statement regarding promotions worried him as he had sat his examinations for promotion. Mr Henderson suggested that differences should be settled on days off “in a more manly way.” When Station Officer Bell had asked what action would be taken if this occurred, Mr Henderson replied that it was normal in British brigades. Some years before there had been a similar incident,

said O’Connor. A fireman had apologised but was dismissed. Later he was found innocent and reinstated. On the recent occasion all were being held responsible but as far as he knew no member of the board had inquired of the men concerned what happened. Passing Hen?

Mr Dunn: You don't accept the view that the egg was due to miscalculation by some passing hen O'Connor: I don't know— I wasn’t there when it happened.

Witness said he did not consider the matter a childish prank. It would be hard for an outsider to understand the circumstances.

Mr Morrison: Did the officer put his foot on the egg?— I don’t know.

Mr Fenton asked how the egg got in the boot. O'Connor: We wanted to know. too. The shell couldn't be found at Thorndon To Mr Churchill, witness said Fireman Lowndes, later found innocent of nuggeting the officer’s helmet, had been dismissed by the previous Chief Officer. Mr Bruce Alan Ernest Blunden, a fireman said he had heard the Chief Fire Officer say there would be no promotions until the “egg-layer” was found, and also that the “Lis-ton-Patterson way." was the way to settle differences with officers.

Blunden gave evidence that he had been asked to leave a room he had occupied for about a year at Thorndon station so that an officer could move in.

He had had to move to a dormitory and considered be had been given insufficient notice. He considered a tenancy agreement with the union entitled him to 14 days’ notice.

He had mentioned this to the Chief Fire Officer and also to the union secretary, but complied with the order because he did not want to be accused of disobeying. To Mr Dunn, he agreed the order did not amount to a transfer, but he felt he was still entitled to notice. It was wrong that he should be moved to accommodation shared with others who, unlike himself, were not paying rent, and to which anyone had access.

The inquiry will continue tomorrow morning and is expected to coritinue for the rest of the week.