FIRE BRIGADE AWARD

Grey River Argus, 28 May 1938, Page 7

FIRE BRIGADE AWARD

THE ATTACK ON IT Political Propaganda .’ [Per Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, May 27. The allegation was made to-day by Hon. J. A. Archer that the statement issued by the chairman of Christchurch Fire Board (T. M. Charters) after Monday morning's tire was entirely different from the one which ; members of the Board had agreed he should make, and it did not have their approval. Mr Archer, who is a member or the Board, left for Wellington after the meeting at which the fire was discussed, and he returned to Christchurch to-day. . , “Of course the meeting held on Monday evening had been arranged before the fire occurred,” said Mr Archer, “but naturally the fire was discussed, so far as the members o the staff are concerned. The chairman and other members of the Board asserted that they had heard remarks in the city that, the firemen had not done a good job. Every member expressed disaproval of those remarks and agreed they had done as good a job as could possibly be done under the circumstances, and that the reason why the fire had such disastrous results was sonic method of construction of the building. The decision was that Mr Charters should- make a statement, not only exonerating the men from blame, but expressing the Board’s appreciation of their excellen work. For some inexplicable reason, and certainly to my own consternation Mr Charters came out with a screen quite definitely suggesting that the full quota of men was not available, because of the operation of the award. Mr Charters ought to have known the award makes no such stipulation and there Is not a fireman in our employ who would not leap into action if his services were required in cases of emergency. Charters’ action looks I’ke a bit of Tonfied political propaganda.’’