FIREMEN WERE NOT PAID

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1935, Page 7

FIREMEN WERE NOT PAID

VISIT OF PRINCE HENRY COMPLAINT OF SUPERINTENDENT. SHABBY TREATMENT ALLEGED. "HANGERS-ON” IN OFFICIAL PARTY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. “I can’t understand why in a civilised country like New Zealand a fireman should be put on duty to walk up and down—unpaid, mind you—outside the Duke’s room wherever he stayed seeing that it did not catch fire. It was ridiculous,” declared Superintendent Warner, Christchurch, at the annual conference of the Institution of Fire Engineers today. “The Duke of Gloucester must cause fire danger wherever he goes, but it was absolutely unnecessary to call out firemen, as was done, without paying them when other paid officials, were quite capable of looking out for fire,” he said. “It was rather shabby. The Government said it had not enough money for the tour expenses yet it paid for two dozen handers-on to travel through New Zealand with the Duke. The poor firemen were not paid.” Superintendent Warner’s criticism was supported by other delegates.