INQUIRY MOOTED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1938, Page 8

INQUIRY MOOTED

INTO MONDAY’S BIG FIRE IN CHRISTCHURCH CRITICISM BY MANAGER OF LLOYD’S POLICY OF BOARD QUESTIONED (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Events which followed Monday morning’s disastrous fire took a new turn today, when it was announced by Mr W. B. Honour, manager of Lloyds’ Insurance Company, that he intended to ask Superintendent A. Morrison, of the Christchurch Fire Brigade for an explanation of the tactics he adopted in combating the blazei •Mr Honour added that if that explanation were not satisfactory, his company would exercise its right to ask for an inquest. It already had that course under consideration. Mr Honour said there were many points on which his company was not satisfied. It believed it had grounds for criticising the methods employed in fighting the fire. This not only applied to Monday morning’s_conflagration, but also to the £ 9000 fire which occurred a few days previously at the premises of Weston Bros.

“If an inquest is brought about there should be a comprehensive order of reference,” Mr Honour added. “In the public interest it should be determined whether.or not the numerical strength of the Brigade in Christchurch is sufficient to cope with a major outbreak. Though the number of men employed in Christchurch is 50, only 28 were available to fight the fire which caused so much damage on Monday morning. On that basis what chance would the brigade have against a fire following an earthquake.” Commenting on a statement made by Mr T. M. Charters that the provisions of the Firemen’s Award prevented more men being employed to attack the fire, Mr Honour said he considered Mr Charters was barking up the wrong tree—either that or he was trying to divert attention from the main issue. If the policy of the board of not employing more men was the basic cause of the spread of the fire, the public should be informed. Mr Honour declared that his company was looking on events from the public point of view and considered there were many unsatisfactory points that should be cleared up. In the meantime it did not have any specific charges to make, either against the Fire Board or the Superintendent, but it would not be content until the points on which it differed with the board and Superintendent Morrison had been explained satisfactorily. STATEMENT DENIED. AVAILABILITY OF MEN IN EMERGENCY. " DUNEDIN, May 25. An opinion that Mr- Charters, chairman of the Christchurch Fire Board, was not conversant with the provisions of the award when he stated that firemen on day leave could not be called out in an emergency was expressed by the president of the Dunedin Metropolitan Fire Brigades Union. who said that Mr Charters’s statement cast a slur on every fireman governed by the award and that it was up to Mr Charters to withdraw his statement tiiat the men were not available. At no time, the union official declared, had there been any question of men not being available, when off duty, in cases of emergency. The men were bound to carry out their duties if called upon.