King Country Chronicle Saturday, October 14, 1911. THE FIRE BRIGADE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 404, 14 October 1911, Page 5

King Country Chronicle Saturday, October 14, 1911. THE FIRE BRIGADE.

The remarks made by Cr Finlay at Monday night's meeting of the Borough Council,- have fallen like a bombshell into our quiet little community. The members of the brigade have taken the matter very seriously to heart and as will be seen by the report of the meeting held on Thursday, they are demanding that Cr Finlay should apologise for the utterances he hat given expression to. We do not need to intervene between Cr Finlay and the members of the brigade. They can very well take care of themselves. All we wish to. say at this juncture is that the threatened resignation of the whole of the members has given place to dealing with their complaint in another way. A local paper often has a very difficult task placed before it ■when it is cailed upon to report fairly and impartially the utterances of members of public bodies. Should it suppress these or those remarks, be-

cause, possibly, they are indiscreet or hasty? On the whole we think the f greater publicity given to the statements of public representatives the better for the health and well-being of the whole community. Cr Finlay's remarks may have been inappropriate, but even so, they have focussed attention upon the needs of the brigade, w and if it ends in a more general public interest being taken in a selfsacrificing body of unpaid public servants, it will have . done no serious harm. The brigade deserves every encouragement. Its members, at great inconvenience, are making themselves efficient for any possible outbreak of fire in our midst, and it is the duty or every resident to. see that that efficiency is in no way impaired. An effective fire brigade is a first-class insurance against a serious outbreak.