FIRE BRIGADES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1380, 5 March 1912, Page 6

FIRE BRIGADES.

YEARLY CONFERENCE; OPENING DAY ALROTOHUA. ;;FIBB LOSS STILL HIGH. (By Telecraph—Press Atnoclatlon.) Rotorua,, March 4. Tho thirty-third annual,wmferohco of tho tfnitcd Firo Brigades' Association is liero, Yesterdny a church parade was held', 132 firemen attending. Archdeacon Tisdall preached. Tho business of the. conference commenced . this morning. Sir. Boyes, president of the association, being in tho chnir. Ouo hundred and fourteen delegates were preicnt, every brigade being represented. Cap. tain Hugo. Government Fire Inspector, .was also present.

President's Address. In his opening address the presidorat paid a tribute to tho itork of past presidents. During tho year they had liad nothing worthy of note as regards firelighting in tho Dominion., They could l help' feeling that they owed a debt of gratitude to the Government for assistance afforded to firo brigades. So long as they stood shoulder to shoulder, as volunteers for tho protection of life and property, 1 they would afford an object,lesson to labour unions in seeking, not a selfish object, but the .welfare of their fellows. During the past year there had been a record, in that 21 geld stars had .been earned, and 15 of these wore to bo presented at the conference. They delighted to honour men who had stood in the front of things for 25 years.' Cqe sad feature about the conference was that an old and familiar face .was-missing. They would miss that grand old president and fire--man, J. G. Gilberd, of Napier. He had beem Hhe grand builder-up of this association, and they all regretted that illness prevented him from attending. Regret was also expressed at the absence, through illness, of Superintendout Mitchell, of Dunedin, and also tho absence , of Deputy-Superintendent Salmon. The Hon. 1). Buddo, in apologising for'.absence, telegraphed that ho fully leco'gnised tho importance of the confererfco, and nothing would have given him greater pleasure than to havo been present'to discuss matters of interest. Annual Report. Tie annual report stated that .'the amount of assets over liabilities had risen from 12s. Bd. to .£BO9 Bs. lid. This was considered highly satisfactory when jin item of Bs. (travelling expenses to the Hokitika Conference and demonstration) was taken into consideration. An iiteni in the balance-sheet indicated .£l2B !6s. ;as "brigade subscriptions in arrears," ;and this was an item that should not exist. During the year the following brigades have become affiliated:—Crnm:well, Taumarunui, and Invercargill rail"way workshops. Tho Hawera Fire Police have disbanded, and tho.number of,brigades now on tho roll total 117. In the cottise of tho year two calls had been made for financial assistance for widows end orphans of deceased comrades, and tho Vtotal amount subscribed was £116 ss. 9d. Gold stars, for twenty-five years' service, had been earned during the year by 21 members. Six of these had been presented, and 15 would be presented c.t tho conference. The following received gold stars- as mentioned:—Fireman Gronn (Marton), Captain Wallis (Gore), Secretary Martin (Gore), Captain Pearson (Dunodhi Railway), Captain Addison (Thames). Tho following will bo presented.,'at the - conference:—Foreman IVaser (Gisborne), Sub-Superintendent Wildish (Gisborne), Captain Branch (Hastings), Secretary White (Napier), Secretary Tunnicliffo (Blenheim), Fireman Buckley (Southbrook), ex-Secretary Wilkie (Spit), Superintendent Higgins (Kaiapoi), loreman Ross (Hokitika), ex-Superintendent Thompson (Hokitika), Branchman Carter (Siilnner),. Captain Woodward. (Nelson), Treasurer Hounsell (Nelson), Superintendent Winn (Lawrence), Ryan (Greymouth).

-'. The Finances. As regards ,the accident assurance branch,,the association is in a satisfactory condition. The revenue amounted to .£273 12s. 7d., and the expenditure (which included a death claim) to .£212 25., leaving .1 profits >CGt 10s. (id. Interest was £70 lis. sd.j' and the total now to tho ciedit of tho accident fund was .£1723 Bs. The amount of assets.over liabilities in the management fund is £\d Gs. lOd. Tho balance-sheet showed receipts (including £1037 19s. 6d. brought forward from last year and Government subsidy for 1911 and '- to be -£2918 6s. ■id. 1 Tho exponditiire;':,was ,£2267 18s. Id., leaving a balance :of-.£750 Ss. 3d. . A deputation of residents waited on the confereuco to convey civic greetings to the delegates, Mr. W. Hill, resident officer, formally expressed the goodwill of' the Hotorua people. '.' '••.'" Telegrams of sympathy in their illnesses were forwarded >to Past-President Gilbcrd mid Superintendent Mitchell. The president introduced Mr. J. B. Holman, M.I/.A., of "Western Australia, and a member of tho Fire Board of Western Australia. In replying, Mr. Holman conveyed fraternal greetings from the volunteer fire brigades of his State to tho New Zealand brigades. Ho expressed surprise that annual conferences were not held hero. Exemption from Military Service, The conference rejected a remit by Masterton that a certain, system of proficiency passes' be adopted for , brigade officers, with tho object of securing a higher standard of efficiency. Tho Invcrcargill delegate moved a remit: "That the association take steps to secure exemption from compulsory military training of all firemen, whether permanent or volunteer." Au amendment was moved: "That firemen over tho ago of 21 be exempt." This was lost, and the original motion carried. A deputation was appointed to wait on tho Minister for Defence, to place the views of the conference on this matter before him. The conference rejected tho Fitzroy remit that'members, incapacitated through Accidents or disease, shall, on production of ,a doctor's certificate, be, allowed to ceunt such period as service in r/ualifying for, decorations, providing that such sickness shall not exceed six months. An Elthnm remit was passed: "That, In the event of a fireman serving in two brigades before earning his service medni, Iho cost of medals bo borne by each bri;adc pro rata.

The Year's Fire Loss, Captain Hugo then nddressed tho conference. Ho said that ho had, at one time, hoped to bo able to congratulate tho conference upon a decrease in tho annual firo loss, but Messrs. Macky,- Logan's (Auckland) fire would, ho was afraid, bring. up tho fire loss to the average of the' past fivo or six years. He directly contradicted a statement made editorially In 'the "Australian Fireman" that tho direct effect of State insurance in New Zealand appears to be an increase in firo waste. Tho Fire Boards' clause in the Act—that one-third of the ratepayers must vote beforo a board can bo constituted—required amendment. He advocated school drill on a uniform system. Standardisation of equipment' was also necessary.