CHANGE OF FRONT

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20509, 27 May 1938, Page 8

CHANGE OF FRONT

FIRE BOARD CHAIRMAN HON. J. K. ARCHER’S ALLEGATION MEN WERE EXONERATED” (By Telegraph.—press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Friday _ An allegation is made by the Hon. J. K. Archer, M.L.C. that the statement issued by the chairman of the Christchurch Fire Board, Mr T. M. Charters, after Monday morning’s fire was entirely different from the one which members of the board had agreed he should make and did not have their approval. Mr Archer, who is a member of the board, left for Wellington after the meeting at which the fire was discussed and returned to Christchurch to-day. "Of course, the meeting held on Monday evening had been arranged before the fire occurred,” said Mr Archer, “but naturally the fire was discussed. So far as members of the staff are concerned the chairman and other members of the board asserted that they had heard remarks in the city that the firemen had not done a good job. Every member expressed disapproval of those remarks and agreed that they had done as good a job as could possibly be done under the circumstances and that the reason why the fire had such a disastrous result was some method of construction of the building. “Political Propaganda” “The decision was that Mr Charters should make a statement not only exonerating the men from blame but expressing the hoard’s appreciation of their excellent work. For some inexplicable reason, and certainly to my own consternation, Mr Charters came out with a screed quite definitely suggesting that the full quota of men was not available because of the operation of the award. “Mr Charters ought to have known the award makes no such stipulation and there is not a fireman in our employ who would not leap into action if his services were required in cases of emergency. Mr Charters’ action looks like a bit of Torifled political propaganda.”