THE NEW FIRE BOARDS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2069, 2 May 1907, Page 1

THE NEW FIRE BOARDS.

One of the important committees of the City Council, the Fire Brigade Committee, ceases its' functions on and after -May Ist (says the Christ- I church Press), when under the Fire Brigades Act, 190(1, the control ol all matters relating to the brigade will pass to a Fire Board. There will be a Board for every fire district, the fire districts enumerated in the Act being the cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and any other part of New Zealand from time to'time declared.a fire district by the Govcrnor-in-Council. The Board will consist of seven members, one appointed by the Governor, three members elected by the insurance companies, and three members elected h.v the local authority of the, ,district. In the case of the city of Christchurch the latter means the City Council. The election of members by the insurance companies is to he held under rules to he made by the representatives of the companies carrying on business in -New Zealand at a meeting to he called by the Minister. These rules have to lip approved by the Governor and gazetted. The members of the. Board, when appointed or elected, are to hold office for two years. The Board is to .Fold at least four meetings in every year, that is. in June, September, December and March, and at the annual meeting a chairman is (o he appointed. The amount required for carrying on the work of the Board is to be contributed hv the Government, the insurance companies insuring within the district, and the local authority. The Government is to contribute an amount equal tu what would he payable in respect to all Governments buildings in the district if such buildings were rateable property and rated at' a Id in the £' on annual rateable value. The remainder of the amount required is to ho paid one half by the insurance companies and one half by the local body. The amount of the 'contributions to be paid by each insurance company is to he determined by the Board. In order to ascertain what amount is to he paid by the insurance companies each company has to transmit to the Board a return of

the gross amount of premiums received during the year after deducting the amount actually paid by way of re-insurance to any other company contributing under the Act. The Board is to have the appointment of a Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent, and the general control of all matters pertaining to lire prevention and extinction. The Governor is to appoint ail Inspector and D<%. puty Inspector of Fire Brigades, all land and buildings occupied by Brigades are to be vested in the Board in trust for fire prevention pur]loses, the Board paying to any local authority or persons, owners of such land or buildings, a rental of £4 10s per centum on the capital value. Where any such land or buildings aro pledged as security or part security for repayment of any loan, the rental is to ho assessed as to so much of the capital value as is equal to the loan or tho proper proportion thereof, at the rate at which the loan is borrowed, and as to the remainder of the capital value, at £4 IBs per centum. The sSßo'ii rd: ,Is. A'i.; L t ku.„o ycr. „a j! _ pjj ip L and appliances in the possession of any Brigade at a price to he agreed upon between the Board and the local authority, and if they cannot agree, the jiriee is to be fixed by arbitration, as provided by tlie Arbitration Act, 1890. No building is to be. used for public meetings or as a theatre, music hall, dancing hall, or for any public performances or public amusements, or for purposes of public worship, unless the same is provided to tlio satisfaction of the Superintendent, or such officer as ho may appoint, with sufficient safeguards against and moans of escape in the case of fife.