My psan Hewert,—I have carefully considered the letter from Mr. Pond, Secretary, Fire Commission, dated with August, 1900, and the correspondence therein referred to re the position of volunteers and firemen in th event of a riot and fire occurring simultaneneral Order No. 517 of 4th July, 1900, signed by Mr. Moore, Chief Engineer, Fire Brigade, by myself as Major commanding the C., and duly approved of by you as nian of the Council, to which certain members of the Fire Brigade now take exception, was well considered before being issued, and couseq) T can see no reason now for altering i tactically the same as an Thich was I believe issued in 1894, and was found then and since to work very well, and I think some stronger reasons for a change must be brought forward than those now presented before altering or modifying it.
feel sure that you and the other mem of the Council will agree with me apd the Senior Officers of the S.V.C. that the first auction, as, without this, line becomes slack, an the officers lose that control over the men which is absolutely necessary if efficiency is to be maintained.
I don't think therefore the position that certain Members of the Fire Brigade are trying to take up is one that commends itself in any way, and Council remain firm to the order above referred to, I, as well as the other Senior Officers of the S.V.C., feel that a very serious blow will be dealt at our authority er the men, as they will think that with any imaginary grievance they have, all they have to do is to agitate the matter and they will got their own way, Early in July the Chief E Foremen of th Fire Companies met the Senior V.C. at the Drill Hall and very fully the situation, and it w then quite understood and agreed to that General Order W, 517 should stand.
T may also he permitted to remark on the letters from Mr. Kahler, 23/8/00, and Me. Bollen, 22/8/00, that they therein, question the right of the Council to say what should or should not be done in the case of riot, and in Mr. Bollen's that the General Alarm should be changed, and also that it should to how they ints which I think show very clea discipline and sin utter attempt to disregard the authority of the Government.
The Regulations issued Nos. L, IIT. and TV, cover the eas entirely, and no alteration should be permitted at the present time.
Lremain, Yours truly, B.A. Change, Chairman, Municipal Council.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.