FIRE-WATCHING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 42, 18 August 1942, Page 3

FIRE-WATCHING

MINISTER'S REPLY

FULLER STATEMENT AWAITED

Commenting today on the statement made last night by the Minister of Civil Defence (Mr. Bodkin) on firewatching, the conveners' of the recent public meeting of fire-watchers. Messrs. E. P. Lambert and H. H. Miller, stated that they wished to make1 it clear that the Minister's statement (published on page 4) did riot give a full reply to .the x'epresentations made by the deputation,', the Minister having ' promised to reply in writing to certain suggestions which the deputation considered should be examined by the Government as an alternative scheme to the present regulations. The Minister's reply, when received, is to be presented to a full meeting of fire-watchers to be called at an early date. , The following'resolution was carried unanimously at a meeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Harbour Boards' Employees' Union: — "While reaffirming its determination to assist the Government in all its war efforts, the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Harbour Boards' Employees' Industrial Union expresses the opinion that the continuance of the present system, of firewatching in Wellington undertaken by other than qualified firemen,, has no real safeguarding, value and should be discontinued; that 'owing to the demands of employment of men engaged in shipping activities necessitating very long hours of work, including Sundays, every effort should be made to reduce to a minimum any further calls on the free hours of employees of the board; that the branch therefore urge? the discontinuance of the present system of fire-watching all night and on weekends; and the substitution of a periodical rehearsa] of necessaty training, so that in the event of .an- emergency arising, the ,full force of qualified helpers could be brought into operation immediately."