HAMPSTEAD TOWN BOARD AND FIRE BRIGADE COSTS.
10 THE EDITOB. Sir, —In reading yoijr report of the Borough Council meeting oa Monday last, I noticed a good deal was said about the aotion of the Hampstead Town Bjard In declining to pay expenses Incurred by the Brigade attending fireo m lta disfriot. I think the report does not give exaotly the position taken op by oar Board, re nonpayment of expenses. Ever elnoa the. Board was constituted it has been paying fire costs oat of its Income, without any corresponding beneut simply beoanso it bad bo water for the engine when it came, hence it was q waste qf pqbllo money. After oarefally considering the matter, It was decided that notice, be given to the horou^h, tha,t m future the Board would not pay any coat for bringing the engine to the district, until It had a water rupply. The Board farther resolvod to pay cost of ringing the bell if the Council wou'd cdopt a code of algna'a, so as to let the poople know m which 1 district the fica waij - lfte^tedj ]ft w«b suggested {jhat'j'one, toll for town, two fcr Eacop^tead, tnree fo* Allenton, and four for Tinwald, might be adopted, Tho bt-ll may be rung for a minute or so by s m ■ one who doaa not kaow the signals, but it could n,t be long a? some person wou'd be there who <\\s especially if a. petlce was fixed near the light, de gcrjbing the cumber of toJlu required for £ich district, and I have no doubt your Valuable papor w-iu'd inaart th© information, for tho good of the pabUo, required I have attonded D(\any of the fires m our district, and. iavariaoly the Brigade haa nojfc beon|in attqndtti^co until the fke vfae on the do"clino, a.nd w hon it oaino tho engino aei\Qrally had to stand idly by for \ya.tv.t o&' water. At Mr Hughos' ftre tU'o water was bo long coming down the channel tbot the I3rigado rolled up tho hoao without wettiDg it, and weat back. t<x. the ehed, At Mr Buy lib' they goj a little woter on after Iho fire waa well under, and tho dangoit to the next building well ovejf. 1 was present, and do not bosita'e to cay that the engiqe dic\ not bo.vq the other hrusea. aa by Mr tioaly and others m tho Council. If it foad. not been £or 'the trees betjwee.R tUoy would have p.een on aad past tho power of the Brigade before it got tho water on. Anyone at the fire will kaow this is correct. I have fully as much interest m the Borough as m tlnn^patead, and feel m justice, we have no right to exppot' the attendance of the Brigade without bearing some share Q? the ex-
pemes of the Brigade, bat as we are
now eitpated I conijtdpr it & traate of money to pay to bring the engine where there is tio ' water I th{nU any reasonable man mast agree that I »m right m this view At the Bame time I think If the Cbnnolllors had been willing they might have assisted maoh more than they have, In »llow|pg amaU supply to be takaa f com
p ome of the oh&nnols, and then have quite sufficient to flush the out-fall drain, which was the objeotlon. For a long time past we have been doing our best to arrange to get water, for fire prevention chiefly, but between the Borough and County Oouaolls we have literally fallen to the ground so far, simply beoaupo more money than our Board can pay la wanted, and, Indeed, more thsn they think thoy ought to pay, remembering that the water was brought into tho town with couaty money scoured from sale of pipes procured under the preteno3 of patting a high pressure supply Into the town years ago. I wonder tho plans for whloh a premium was paid are not produced during tho present agitation, to show that we may all have plenty of water if we will only pay for It, and do without the engines talked about so much When we have water I shall be one of the first to move (if m power) that we bear a a fair share of the cost of maintenance of the Brigade before we use It. But; lam not In favor of spending money for nothiuc, even If some others]«re, In faot, we have none to spare. We cannot even give anyone a bonus. 1 am, eto , GboW.., Andrews.
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Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1892, 13 July 1888, Page 3
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759HAMPSTEAD TOWN BOARD AND FIRE BRIGADE COSTS. Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1892, 13 July 1888, Page 3
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