Fire Brigade Matters.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 22 October 1918, Page 2

Fire Brigade Matters.

The Borough Council met as iusual .last "evening. Present—'The Mayor (Mr C. Blenkhorn) in the chair, Ore. Matheson, Lancaster, Broomed Mackenzie, Ryder, Parker,- and Aitken. . Apologias were received from Ors. Bryson. and Bull. _ . ' v • The only business a letter from the Fire Brigade making the following recommendations: 'That the Brigade affiliate with, the U.F.B.A. and insure in the Assurance Society .of same' at . full rates allowed, viz., risk and a half 1 incapacitated allowance, being £2 5s per .week; that the Council be 'asked to take out n general accident policy covering Brigade members, so that in the event of their incapacitation the ben-: efit receivable (including the above £8 ss) would amount to £4 per week ; that the Brigade decline to take the responsibility for cleaning out fire-plugs; that the Brigade recommendation as'previa ously forwarded concerning the dead end in the Park Domain be adhered tof; that tho Council be .asked for. payment of 3s fid per member pel' practice, payment to b© limited to 12 practices per year.". In connection with the payment per practice Cr Matheson said members considered tlnat the present payment of one shilling per practice was insufficient. Practices Iliad not been well attended and members needed more encouragement.. A general discussion ensued on the matter, Councillors favouring the increase, also a .payment of -26 <3d per hour at fires. Concerning the cleaning of the fireplugs, the Mayor consideredv that it Should be the duty of the Brigade to clean the plugs. ' The slotting of the pluga was a> question which Cr Parker mentioned ana he asked if tlvo Brigade had made a decision as to the usefulness or otherwise of the plotting.' Or Parker Baid tihte dotting had been criticised by the Borough Overseer and the speaker wanted an unbiassed report on the. matter from the Brigade. ' The matter was referred to the 'Brigade committee 1 for an opinion, and ib was also decided to offer mambers of the Brigade the usual rates of pay received b£ Borough employees for cleaning out plugs and asking again that they undertake-the'work." _ / ' Regarding the dead-end in the (Domain a discussion' ensued as to its utility. Cr Matheson, in reply to the Mar yje>r, said 'it was generally considered that street practice was better than Domain pT&ctice. Cr Parker reminded the Council that he had suggested a less ooetly method • by installing a stop-valve and at his ■suggestion dt was decided to recommend t.his course. .

The Council agreed' to the insurance recommendations. - , , i ' Or Pariiea- pointed out tihat lie bad asked to be relieved of- the' position of • the Borough's a-epresentatiVe .on _ the -Brigade Committee,-and lie wished,to adhere to Ibis previous decision. „ l The Mayor «aid_ he was sorry to (hear Or ParEer's decirion- as lie had. been a distinctly usofui membeii'of the Brigade with opinions of his own. ' Cr Aitken, the other representative, ' al~o desired that Uiiis resignation be accepted. ' , . , The matter was discussed at lenfitn and eventually the Council's representntivoi-' ncrecd; to withdraw their, resig-: nations as it was considered a. mi'sunderderstanding existed which could easily he cleaired up. Mr G. Davison was appointed, caretaker of the Brigade station and gear ■at a reniunroation of £12 per annum, the work, to be carried out in Ms own time. : ■ . ■