It looks like a conspiracy to throw those fire-extinguishers back on Miss Sally's hands.
Probably he has taken an agency for fire-extinguishers, or had made a deal to take some in payment for advertising space in his paper, and wants to sell them to Skinner.

I understand there is some cock-and-bull story he has got up about these fire-extinguishers being out-of-date, or useless, or something of that kind, and that he means to make a big stir about the council having been bribed to force them on Skinner.

I suppose Jones will get something out of it, someway.

I understand he means to keep the thing alive in his paper, and throw ridicule on all concerned, until he forces things his way.

Probably he has some political object, too.