KNOX CHURCH FIRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 June 1938, Page 8

KNOX CHURCH FIRE

REPORT LIKELY TO BE MADE PUBLIC BOROUGH COUNCIL DISCUSSION. THE NEW AWARD SYSTEM. There is every prospect of the report of the Superintendent of the Fire Brigade on the recent Knox Sunday School fire being made public in the near future. The matter was further discussed at last night’s meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, when it was stated by Councillor Trevor Beetham, who is chairman of the Masterton Fire Board, that a special meeting of the board was being called within the next few days to consider the report before it was released. Councillor W. Kemp, who is also a member of the Fire Board, referring to the report of which he had a copy, said he would table it but Councillor Beetham pointed out that the authority of the board had not yet been given for its release and that he ha<} asked the secretary to call a meeting. He knew the public were anxious to have the report and he was just as anxious that the public should have it. Referring to the increase in costs. Councillor Kemp said that six years ago the estimates totalled £2,130 and this year £4,131. They had the money in hand for a new fire engine costing between £1,500 to £1,600; they had an asset in a site for a new station for which they had paid £2,500 and the interest payments of the board were less than they had been for six years. A big item of expenditure this year was £475 for putting the fire alarm system in decent order while wages and salaries, which totalled £476 in 1934 were £2,050 this year. There were six permanent men at the station and -according to the award each man had,to have a day off every four days and 28 days’ holiday on the completion of six months’ service. Under these conditions there were always two men on leave. In the event of a fire one man had to be left at the station and one had to be stationed at the fire engine. Comment had been passed that at the “Knox Sunday School fire the Superintendent was seen to handle a hose but he had to under these conditions. The attendance of the auxiliary men could not be depended on, as some worked in the country. Councillor Kemp contended that the board had done everything possible to meet the bill and that today they had certainly an improved fire brigade. (Councillor H. E. Gardner said that hlis grievance was that the new system was not bringing efficiency into the brigade. They had a report from the Inspector of Fire Brigades that the Masterton brigade was efficient but speaking as one who had had 14 years’ experience as a fireman he asserted that the heap of charcoal at the Knox Sunday School site proved to him that they did not' have an efficient fire brigade in Masterton. “I want to know if the Fire Board can find out what is wrong and try to improve it,” he added.

The Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, said he thought the best course was to await the special meeting of the Fire Board. On the recommendation of the Works and Finance Committee, the council decided to ask the board if the report could not be made public. Mr Jordan said this request was made so that the public might be satisfied tha> all was well with the fire brigade.