Firemen Want Public Inquiry

Northern Advocate, 28 May 1938, Page 6

Firemen Want Public Inquiry

[Per Press Association. Copyright J

CHRISTCHURCH. This Day

The Canterbury district council of the New Zealand Federation of Labour has announced its intention of pressing, in the interests of firemen, for a public inquiry into Monday rnorning’s fire and related questions. This was announced in a further statement by the council’s chairman, Mr J. Roberts.

“Six men, who were on the station, but whose leave did not expire until 8 a.m., reported for duty at 6.45 a.m. at the Central Fire Station on the morning of McDuff’s fire, and, although told there was an outbreak in the city, were not given orders to proceed to the fire,” said the secretary of the Christchurch Fire Brigade Union. Mr W. H. Mathison. in replying, on behalf of the men, to a statement by Mr T. M. Charters, chairman of tile Fire Board. V “The six brigadesmen mentioned — an officer and five men —were on the station premises when the call was received at' 2.47 a.m., but as no emergency alarm was given, they did not report until 6.45 a.m.” Charters’ Charges Criticised. Mr Mathison said that Mr Charters had made the following statement: “But for the provisions of the present award for firemen, possibly about half-a-dozen extra men could have been called out.” Also, he had stated that extra men would have been of considerable assistance if they had been available. Mr Charters had said later that in actual fact the number on duty was sufficient, which was a direct contradiction of his previous statement.

“If, as Mr Charters states,” said Mr Mathison, “there were sufficient men at

the fire, why were three policemen pressed into service to help operate the extension ladder between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. and a sergeant of police direct a hose from Colombo Street on to the State Theatre building.”