THE FIRE BOARD QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 479, 12 April 1909, Page 7

THE FIRE BOARD QUESTION.

INSURANCE PREMIUMS. It is now impossible for Councillor BalIwger s proposal to establish a fire board in We ington lo bo placed boforo tho ratepayers at the municipal elections on April 28, which are only a I,ttle over a fortnight off, even if tho necessary steps wore ogroed to by the City Council. He will now havo to await some other convenient opportunity. The question may be put to the ratepayers at any timo, but it is provided that one-third of those on the roll must vote or the poll 13 invalid. . Tho difficulty is tnat, except on .such occasions as an election or a loan proposal, sufficient interest would not r«s£]. m Si£,r ii hi »»» *'«» In conversation with a Dominion representative, Councillor Ballinger remarked that tho main objection to the City Council's giving un its control of the fire brigade was because tI.S thrnnph"f7i a w- P° { sslb "y secure control tnrough the election of one member, but, lie asked, what about the Harbour Board? Tho uoycrnmcnt appointed three representatives and vas ft suggested that the Government 00": follow th a °t ?? ar r He ftd !f ed ' that ifc t,id uot 1 • Government nominee would be electod chairman! 111 Dunedin, Christchurch, 1 almerston Ivorth, i-eildins; and lactone, lie was not chairman. The City Council elected four members to the Charitable Aid Board and Daid hnlf f S 051 "' 8 ' Board; the Government paid half of tho money to oarry out tho work ta f j' I™ 3 diabolical' (a term used by ment? money from the Govern-

Dealing with the finanoial side of the Question, Councillor Ballinger stated that the capi- ' 907"«^t% e nnn D r? tJ », »»Brd in June. 1?'1 -" , f lnce tllen about'JMooo m«if \h 1 lnml > buildings, and plant, •making a, total of .£45,000, therefore, the anjomnlnstalm6n.ts Y ouI(1 instead of £000, as previously estimated. This would reduce the council s contribution to i 1550 inVT ;1 t - he ,, savin S in 28 years would brigade at isooo.' es P elldlt «« tho It was suggested, he proceeded, that the ?,™ n , cil j 0 ? 1 ". 'P SO th ? property taken over by the board, but ho maintained tho contrary. It would simply he held iu trust, and used for ti. 6 ? m ? purpose as at present. It had also been advanced that under a inorp-ico i* the premiums of insurance would increase, but there were 21 firo districts in rl '• a Jf tho ™ tes lla<l not risen in those districts. He certainly thought that llie insurance companies would increase tho rates in tho near future, and might make tho bio boards the cscuso, but he thought tho losses sustained recently would be the real causo. If the rates were increased, the cost would not ail fall on the ratepayers, as numbers of insurers wero not ratepayers, but occupiers only, and these could leave'tho citv 111 bail times, whereas tho ratepayers woulil have to stop and pay tho rates. If .£BOOO pel' year were saved by tho establishment of a jire district, a reduction, equivalent to about 7J per cent, of tho general rate could take place. With this sum and a littlo moro, the council could complete tho three rein™l,?/Znd'Mr P 'Y 0(T tho fll '° s i"tion loan ot aioOOO, which matures in January next.