1
ฟ
Enclosure 2.
29th bot 1896.
attached.
CO.
3440
Rece
FEB Q!
46
minute of the 29th.October, 1896, a copy of which is also
6. It was decided by my predecessor Bir
William Robinson that Mr.May's position was untenable.He had
been appointed Superintendent of Fire Brigade, and it was the
Superintendent's duty to be present and to assume personal
control when the Brigade was engaged in the exercise of its
duties. If his absence were shown to be the cause of trouble
or inefficiency he would be held directly responsible.
7. The question has recently been brought
to my notice for the first time, and careful consideration
has led me to the opinion that Mr.May's contentions were
sound. I concur with him that from a Police point of view it
is undesirable that the Captain Superintendent of Police
should be required to attend regularly at fires.As Superin-
tendent of the Brigade he should be throughly acquainted
with its working; and Mr. May was and is willing and ready to
assume the ultimate responsibility and to be answerable for
any inefficiency on the part of the Brigade which may indi-
rectly prejudice the extinction of fires.More responsibility
than this Mr.May is unwilling to incur, and I am of opinion
that his heavy and constantly-increasing duties as Captain
Superintendent of Police preclude the possibilityof his dis-
charging an additional duty of so onerous a nature in a man-
ner satisfactory to himself or ultimately beneficial to the
community.