MANAGEMENT BLAMED

Chronicle (Levin), 19 June 1948, Page 7

MANAGEMENT BLAMED

■ I Press Association)

= — ^ Subniissions For UnionsAt Fire Inquiry » ' v

(Per

CHRISTCHURCH, June 18. Tke shortcomings of the management of Baiiantyne 's wero the primary cause of the disaster, said Mr. B. A. Barrer, for three unions today in liis final subniissions to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Baiiantyne 's fire on November 18, 1917. Mr. Barrer describqd tke evidenee of tlie shortcomings of the fire brigade and eleetrical installation as "useful eamoufiages. ' ' Of the 11 person.* lcilled in the fire six wero menuiers of the Clothing Trade Employees' Union, three were lnember.s of the Hhop Assistants' Union and. Z'l were meinbers of the Clerks and Cashiers' Cnion. Two of tlie persons mjured belonged to the* last-mentioned rnion. • M r. Barrer added that the llotel .and Restaurant EmpJoyees' I'nion wished to be associated with any constructive reuiarks made on belialf of the unions. " \Yo have already niade sutlicieni inentioti ot the iiability of oecupierand owiiers of business liouses to pro vide safe premises and \\;orking cond: tious for tlieir employees, " said Mr Barrer. "Tliat is a legal obiigation wtiicli falls on t iio employer and. is -in obiigation wliieh is personal to hitn. ilie liiidings (liis Commission nius. .ua ko will be oi tlie utniosl imporUuiov in the future eeouoniie and 'mdustna lil'e of Ihe Donunion in that wuh thi .ast ainouiit of niaterial available i will be possible for the Commission- ti.iake ie"omme»d:it ions wliieh, lf av •epted bv the Uo\ ernnienl, will dete: .line inauy points ail'eeting tlie riglu and obligations of lmilding owners an properlv ow ners generally in eonni'clio .viili buildings. It is obviously linp.'.sibie t-i mnke all tlie existing buiiding safe, but it is possible to tuake tlie.ii good deal sai'er than niaiiv are." .Mr. Barrer said it was considered flint matters rehating to electricity an. io the lice ■brigade primarilv eoneernew olher partiis, and his subniissions ■>.. lliose niatt ers would be very brief. lii suluuit ii ,'i that soine witnesses of Ba1 lautvne's inanug'Miient and employees dioweil ratiiei too inueli preparatio i iiicl said it was a niatter for eominen: .hat two days after the fire a stafl' con i'erence was lield at wliieh counsel for ihe aceident underwrilers was present ■ui(i in wliieh the nianagenient other t hau Baiiantyne 's themselves and ihe departmeuial liead.s disenssed the ■v» ins of the lire and tlie tinies at vliicli various ineidents happened. A urtlier eonferenee was lield aliont a .veek later wiien witnesses said tliere wa* no di-eussion of tlie fire. It seeinad reasonable io assuine tliat tliere was inlividual diseussion of tlie fire. There was no dount tliat before tlie witnesse.ga\'(> evidenee to tlie (.'omiuission the;. liad. been througii a great uiany hands. ' ' M v seeond general observation is 1 1. a ♦ althonM-h ihe general picture pa* i -eiited l)\ Baiiantyne 's witnesses is cor reef, tliere lias been a teiuleucy to overlook defaults of the priucipals, fo pui liiues l'orward, to reiueniber events in fa'.our oi' Baiiantyne 's and to forgei jinaiters wliieh uiiglit.be harmful. " Be-j.-anse of tlie niass of evidenee and be"jiu.se other eourts would be called on | d ileeide other important matters Mr I Barrer said he hoped to Conimission 's j 'iinliiigs of tlie faet of fire would : lenve tlie parties in little doubt of theu j legal rights and obligations. Tt would I be a ealamity if matters liad to be re- ' opeued and dealt witli from the beginuing in anollier forum. Tlie eluiirimui fSir Ilarold Johnston) :

Of eourse it is a very ditlieuit question 1 don't tliink we are entitled to under take the responsibility tliat may lie on Llie Supreme Court. -Mr. Barrer: 1 hope- tliat after som-. five nionths of litigaton faets will conu out to determine what stcps are ueeded Tlie cliairinan: We can't possibf.i give deeisions wliieh will bind t ]>•- •Supreme Court. Discussing the evidenee on tlie tinies of the- various ineidents, Mr. Barrer said a sliarp distinetion uiust be drawn betweeu tliose who made the estimates aiul tliose who looked at the clocks There were up to 30 eleetric cjocks in Baiiantyne 's, tliere wefe a number oi clocks in tlie street outside tlie build ings, and some liundreds of employees imst have liad wrist watches, yet few witnesses liad been able to relate any jiarticular eveut to time. Mucli evidenee liad been led wliieh ended to obseure in the public mind the real and priniiirv eauses for tlie lisaster, Mi;. Barrer eonlinued, and the shorf.comiiig.s of the lire brigade airl deetric eable liad been usefui ••amoii fiages to hide those wauses whiel in liis subinission were due primarily tthe shorteomings of tlie management In tliis observation on tlie (inbrigade 's eonduet he (lid not want ii Io be tliouglit tliat he wanted to covei up tlie failings of the brigade. Baiiantyne 's management knew or otiglit to liave knowTi tliat the. buildings were dangcrous and tliat Ihe basenient contained a number of inflaiuitiablc materials. Tlie brigade di(l not know lliut sueli materials were stored at lliseat of tlie fire. The strueture of Baflantvne's buildings and the person.who wero inside were known to tlie uianagement but not to tlie brigade. Tlie brigade hkewise did not know oi the methods by wliieh tlie basemeut could be reaelied. 8ome niembers of tlie stafT knew tliat girls were in peril higli up in tlie build ings and liad plentv of» time to ask tln* brigade for lielp. Tlie management knew tlie fire liad been smokiiig and that the volume of smoke was increasing for at least 1.1 niinutes before 1. 1 i brigade arrived, iiut did not mentiou tliis to the biigade. "Tti view of all these matters it seeins tliat there lias been an attenqit t' trausfer tlie prnnarv responsibility for the (lisaster on to the fire brigade whose civil liabj.lity f.qr tlie. consequences oi' tlieir actions is doubtful, added Mr. Barrer. If the Commission considers that the brigacle^heted unreasonably ii, these matters it may very well cor. sider wliether it should not make recommendations that for eertain classes o! (lefault sueli as fuiling fo send propiv equipment to the fire, the Fire Board should e'njov ininumity under seetion 11 of tlie Fire Brigades Act. If, in fae.t. it does enjoy sueli immunity, and on this point I> tliink there is room for some conflict of opinion." Wheu tlie Coimnission resumes on lHondav l\Fr. Barrer will continue his subniissions.