KILLING THE FIRE BRIGADE SPIRIT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2369, 17 December 1921, Page 4

KILLING THE FIRE BRIGADE SPIRIT.

GOVERNMENT’S FALSE ECONOMY.

(Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.)

Everybody appreciates the good work done by our Volunteer Fire Brigades. 'The time and service given by these men in training, and in the arduous work of .fire-fighting is all for the general welfare. Within the Dominion there are 104 volun-, teer fire brigades, and, in addition, 36 brigades under control of the Fire Boards. The United Fire Brigades Association of N.Z. has carried out the policy of fostering the volunteering spirit, especially on behalf of the smaller towns where paid brigades would prove very costly. An incentive to the spirit of

voluntary service is found by the Association in holding’Dominion biennial competitions, an annual conference, and, also, provincial competitions every other year. Hithei’to the' Government has subsidised these valuable services by granting approximately £SOO per free railway passes to the annual demonstration. ’ This past year it meant a cost of slightly 4 over £2,500, which to 2,000 volunteer firemen was less than £1 per man for the year. \ It has come to us as- a shock to learn that the Government has resolved to cut this subsidy entirely. What does it mean? Panic, blind finance, or opposition to the spirit of voluntary service. Surely it is utterly ridiculous' to expect these firemen to give their time and labour in the valuable service of protecting property and life, and in addition pay out of their own pockets for attending demonstrations that are part of their training. There is a clause in the Eire Brigades Act which provides for the Fire Boards contributing to the expense of delegates and teams attending conferences and demonstrations. The Government has, under the Act, to contribute £2,000 approximately to the 36 Brigades under control of the Fire Boards,* but to the 104 volunteer brigades it now refuses to give anything, There are only two possible results conceivable from this refusal, one to force the volunteerbrigades under control of fire boards, and either is so contrary to the public interest as to call for the strongest protest. It is a well established fact that the property owners in those districts governed by fire Boards have to pay higher rates for insurance owing to the greater cost of the insurance companies, and furthermore, the local rates and cost to the Government are greater. On these grounds, if no other, the volunteer system should appeal to the Minister, as it certainly is for the public benefit. There is no question but that the keenness of the volunteer brigades make for greater proficiency. Besides, there is the broad aspect that all voluntary effort on the public’s behalf should be encouraged in these days of lessened efficiency 4. We learn that the Minister has deemed it right to class the fire brigades with sports bodies, apparently because both hold competitions. This appears to us as ridiculous and a lamentably weak excuse for a policy* of what will be recognised as false economy. It is almost needless to have to point out that the competitions and Conferences are part of the training, the cultivation of the splendid civic spirit of service, and makes for greater efficiency in the noble work of lire-fight-ing in which the men engage at their own personal risks. We have consistently advocated economy in public expenditure, but wanf to know, when any reform is proposed, that it is real economy. For the Government to tell these 104 Volunteer Fire Brigades that it will contribute nothing to their upkeep is to our mind a policy of waste rather than economy. To save £SOO cash grant and railway passes valued at £2,000, the policy is entered on of killing the volunteer spirit without regard to the facts that if the whole services are forced under fire boards it will entail two or three times greater cost to the Government; higher insurance premiums, and probable decrease in security of the public safety-. It is an example of “penny 4 wise, pound foolish” policy that is more.like parsimony run mad than a really wise economy-. - To cut off this much-needed useful service in order to save a relatively small sum per annum is a waste that must react in the way of requiring still greater expenditure later on. Unless the Government is looking for the volunteer firemen to specially tax themselves, to give time, service and their money 4 in addition—whilst receiving no return (a meanness the people in New Zealand do not look for) —we fail to understand the reason why it should refuse the usual subsidy given to the United Fire Brigades Association.

We trust that even now the Government will consider the matter, and may see its way to make the usual grants, which we are qpite sure will be upheld by the general public of the Dominion.