FIRE BOARDS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 684, 8 December 1909, Page 8

FIRE BOARDS.

DEPUTATION TO THE. HON.' D. BUDDO; passed at a conference of fire boards,, held last month, were submitted to the Hon D.Buddo by Messrs. R. M. Simpson and Ewen last '.evening.' : Captain Hugo,' inspector of, Eire Brigades,, was present. ' The first resolution dealt with had- reference ,to Section 31 of the Act, which sets out the duties and powers of the superintendent in the case of any,fire happening within the toe .district, and also, makes provision that the brigades may, attend at fires taking place outside a fire district, and also on board any, ship or vessel. '■''.. .■; , Mr. Buddo promised to take the. matter into consideration. The responsibility' of attending such fires was. purely a voluntary. one. , .■••. The resolved to ask . the. Government to sanction the.reduction of charges for the installation and maintenance: of wires''for fire alarm .systems, and to *be allowed one telephone free of cost. The Minister.said this was a matter that was outside his Department. He could not' pledge the Government to reduce' the charges in anyway." -.- : Another' resolution passed by the conference dealt with the necessity of so. amending the Loans to Local Bodies Act.as to give fire boards power to '■ just as local bodies did. ~-..', .Mr. Bnddo 6aid tbe Government 'realised that tho boards were inconvenienced and had difficulty in raising money because they bad no rating powers, and that some amendment of the existing . law . was . necessary. • ' ' ..' - '■' Attention was also drawn by the conference to "the urgent necessity which exists for improvement in the municipal building regulations;" so as to prevent waste' by fire. _ This, said Mr. Buddo, raised a very wide issue. One' might state a general principle, but tho Government could not very well interfore with the responsibility and powers of local bodies in the matter of building regulations. Tho question,; howover, would be looked into. Apart from- minor issues, the deDutation finally urged' that the ■ Fire. Brigades Act should be amended in the direction, of providing that owners of .'■'. property who insure with companies not registered in Now Zealand mnst pay to the Fire Board an equal' amount .'to that'recoverable; from the companies receiving such premiums had such companies been registered in the. Dominion. .The Minister said: he understood _that the position was this: In the case.of .the insurance of an emporium, for instance,- tho local companies would, not take the* whole of tho risk, and that a portion.was given to oversea companies. As a matter of fact, tho most dangerous risks wore transferred to "outside" companies. Although he would like to ■ see such companies contributing a. reasonable pro-, portion, no did not think they Could be expected 1 to contribute on the same basis as companies doing business in tho Dominion. In conclusion, the' Minister said ho was prepared to consider,tho whole of tho resolutions brought -before him, buty he could not promise that any legislation would be'introduced this session. ;'■. It; was .probable .that the matter would have to remaihove?'till nert session..