FIRE BRIGADES' CONFERENCE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21409, 27 February 1935, Page 8

FIRE BRIGADES' CONFERENCE

ELECTION OF OFFICERS LONG SERVICE MEDALS PRESENTED (3rZUIAI< TO THIS VttBSS.) BLENHEIM, February 26. The annual conference of the United Fire Brigades' Association concluded this afternoon. Gold star medals for 25 years' service were presented by Superintendent J. J. Salmon (Dunedin) to Messrs G. H. Hannay (Alexandra), E. Howe (Dannevirke), G. Jesson (Eketahuna), E. O'Neill (Sumner), and C. L. Prestney (Rangiora). « The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Superintendent H. E. Follas (Devonport). There were nine nominations for the two vice-presidencies, the ballot resulting in Superintendent A. Craig 'Hamilton) being appointed senior vice-president and Mr A. J. Bennett (Nelson) junior vice-president. Mr L. C. Gibbons. uC Wellington, general secretary of the Underwriters' Council, and Mr F. F. Gilmore, of Wellington, the council's chief electrical inspector, were cordially welcomed and cheered by members. Addressing the meeting, Mr Gibbons remarked that it was a far cry from ihe days when the early insurance companies fitted out their firemen in livery and equipped them with buckets to the new machine streamlined car—a fire station on wheels. To illustrate the reduction in fire losses all over the world, he stated that in Ihe United Kingdom fire losses totalled £11,000,000 in 1929 and £8,500,000 in 1.934, a reduction of 26.22 per cent. In the United States of America the losses for 11 months of 1932 were 403,000,000 dollars, and for a similar period of j934 252,000,000 dollars. In Nev; Zealand in 1929 losses and expenses incidental thereto wcr« £734,000. compared with £441,000 in 1933, a 39 per cent, decrease.

Of course, hre losses, like everything else, went in cycles, said Mr Gibbons, but when taken over a series of years the losses were below the average. Superintendent C. C. Warner (Christchurch) was re-elected president of the institute. Procession of Children An outstanding item of the week's festivities for the entertainment of the visitors to the conference and demonstration was the children's procession held this afternoon. Some 200 children,' dressed in all manner of fancy costumes and the majority with decorated cycles or small vehicles, paraded m a procession terminating at Market place. A large crowd surrounded Market square, where the judging took place. The judges had a formidable task hi picking out the winners from so many participants. The visiting firemen were so pleased with the procession of sueli a large number of children that they clubbed together and gave each child a box of ehocokites.

After the procession and civic welcome to the visitors, last evening, the Come to Blenheim Committee held a community sing at the town hall which was crowded to the doors. Mr Percy James, of Nelson, was the leader, and soon had the crowd in a .lolly mood. Mr C. Lee, also of Nelson, was ni the piano, and the De Luxe orchestra rendered oopular it ems. *