FIRE BRIGADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3700, 6 October 1927, Page 3

FIRE BRIGADE.

POPULAR SUPERINTENDENT FA RE WELLED.

On Tuesday night members of the Foxton Fire Brigade met at the station to farewell Superintendent J. H. Downes, prior to his departure for Nelson. Musical and vocal items were indulged in and a pleasant social time spent. At a suitable juncture during the evening Deputy Superintendent F. Lockwood called on Secretary A. Walls, the oldest member of the brigade, to present Dr. Downes with a handsome oak clock, suitably engraved, as a ‘token of esteem from the Brigade. In doing so Fireman Walls said the Brigade was very sorry, to lose their Superintendent, as he had at all times taken a very keen interest in fire fighting and the interests of the men particularly. He expressed the hope that when Mr. Downes settled down in Nelson that he would join up with the brigade there so that his services to the community in general as a fire fighter would not be lost by his removal from Foxton.

The Superintendent’s health was then drunk with musical honours.

Mr. Downes in replying thanked the brigade for their handsome gift and expressed regret that he was severing his connection with such a fine body of men. He had been very diffident about becoming a fireman, in the first place, he said, but once he was in the brigade had found the work very congenial. He had taken a keen interest in his work and had done his best to carry out the duties of Superintendent. He took the opportunity of pointing out the great duty the brigade was performing to the community as a whole. They yere there as a volunteer brigade to save life and property at the expense of their own time and often at risk of limb and life to themselves. It had been an honour for him to 'be associated with a volunteer brigade as he contended that where a brigade was paid, fire fighting became a business and hardly the service to the community in the sense of that a volunteer brigade was. He urged the men to look on their work as an honour and to rally round their new Superintendent and give him the same support as they had accorded him. He also reminded the brigadesmen that they could not be too fit for their work. Success depended on efficiency and maximum attendance at practice was essential. In conclusion, Mr. Downes said it was one of the hardest things he had to do to leave the brigade. During the evening music, was dispensed by an orchestra consisting of Messrs J. Newton (piano), E. "Graham (violin), and B. Walls (cornet), and Superintendent Downes contributed two songs to the programme. Toasts honoured during the evening were:—“The King,” proposed by Deputy F. Lockwood; “The Superintendent,” proposed by Deputy Lockwood and Secretary A. Walls and responded to by Superintendent Downes; “The Press,” proposed by Fireman H. Reid, and responded to by Mr. R. “The Ladies,” proposed by Fireman McCartney and Jardines and responded to by Mr.- J. Scott; ‘The Orchestra,” proposed by Mr. Jardines and responded to by Mr. J. Newton; “The Honorary Members,” proposed by Fireman T. Fuller; and “The Board,” proposed by Deputy Lockwood and responded to by Superintendent Downes.