E.P.S. COMMITTEE’S PROTEST

Southland Times, Issue 24877, 17 October 1942, Page 5

E.P.S. COMMITTEE’S PROTEST

Commissioner’s Action (P.A.) PALMERSTON NORTH, Oct. 16. “This committee enters an emphatic protest to the Government against the present system of control, which in the committee’s opinion will not produce the best organization for protecting citizens in a time of emergency.” The foregoing resolution was passed at a meeting of the E.P.S. committee. As part of its fire-fighting precautions to meet an emergency, the committee delegated to the City Fire Brigade superintendent power to instruct business firms what fire-fighting appliances should be installed. In a certain business house the superintendent ordered hose reels, but an objection to their installation came in a letter the committee received from the Regional Commissioner, Colonel Ciochetto, who suggested that the instructions given the brigade superintendent should be withdrawn. Colonel Ciochetto also suggested that the owners of buildings should not be prosecuted for failing to comply with the superintendent’s requests without the circumstances being reported and the consent of the Regional Commissioner, Colonel Ciochetto himself, first being obtained the district controller. The Mayor, Mr A. E. Mansford asked the committee who was best fitted to judge what was required to fight a fire. He did not intend to withdraw the authority given the superintendent for the Regional Commissioner or anyone else until they could produce someone more fitted than the superintendent. He characterized the request as presumptuous, coming from a layman.