FIRE BRIGADE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 55, 21 October 1914, Page 7

FIRE BRIGADE.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of members ol the Stratford hire Brigade was held last night, Captain Grubb presiding.

REPORT AND BALANCE-SHEET. In moving the adoption of the bal-ance-sheet, Captain Grubb said the year’s operations were the most successful in the history of the Brigade.! A good deal of the credit for the excellent result was due to ioreman Bradley in putting through the carnival hold early this year. Althougn there was a balance of £7O odd tnat amount was ,uot available for expenditure for general purposes. It was ear-marked for the purchase oif a motor lire engine. They desired to accumulate a certain sum, so that they could then demand the necessary balance from the Borough Council. Lieut. Wilson seconded, paying r. tribute to the hard work done by Fireman Biddley in connection with the carnival. .Members, said Lieut. Milson, hardly realised the great amount of work which Fireman Bradley had had to do. The adoption of the balance-shed was carried. The following annual report was •submitted Your Committee have much pleasure in placing before you Its twentieth annual report for the year ending October 20th, 1914, as Follows: The total receipts for the year have been £149 17s Id. including a balance brought forward From lasi year of 3s Bd. Of this total the sum of £77 18s 7d has been expended, leaving a balance of £7l 18s Gd to credit. This creditable balance is due to a Garden Fete which was held early in the, present year and which resulted in a net profit of £lll 7s. The. total musters of the brigade for the year have been 37: Practices 12, meetings 16, fires 7, false alarms 3. The fires in most cases were not of a serious nature, in fact only one of them being an occupied house belonging to Mr J. Crofts, in Cordelia Street, which had a strong hold when the Brigade arrived, but the Brigade with their usual promptness soon had the fire under control. Two of the fires were in unoccupied premises : a dwelling in Pembroke Road which was completely gutted and Mr Melville’s workshop and stables, ' which also wore gutted. The other two fires were merely rubbish burning, but only for the Brigade’s promptness in extinguishing them they might hay£ caused considerable loss of property. During the past year the membership of the Brigade has been- well up to its full strength, up to the calling for volunteers for the Expeditionary Force. Six of our members found the call to arms too strong, and enlisted and were accepted as members of the Force. These members are now prepared ,to fight for the Mother Country and wo are sure the members»of the Brigade are proud to acknowledge them as members of tin’s Brigade, and all hope to see them safely return and be again ready for duty on the alarm of fire. At practices and meetings, the attendance of members has been good, which shows that the members arp taking a keen interest in their work as firemen. The United Fire Brigades’ Association’s conference was held at Akaroa last February, Captain Grubb representing the Brigade. The next conference is to he held at Timaru, when also a demonstration is to he held. Your ‘Committee would like to see a team from this Brigade entered for the several competitions at the demonstration. This Brigade was again successful in winning the shield annually competed for between the Stratford and Eltham Brigades.. , The trophies which have been competed for by members of the Brigade during past years have now been won outright by the undermentioned members: Burgess Cup, Fireman F. Davies; Hallenstein Bros.’ trophy. Foreman Drake; Bishara Cup, Lieut. Wilson. We trust that more trophies will be forthcoming during the ensuing year for competition by members. The thanks of the Brigade are due to the Borough Council for the gear supplied during the- year and also for the plug which has been placed in the Park for competition purposes. In the early part of this year the Brigade hold a Garden Fete on the A. and P. Association’s ground which was kindly lent to the Brigade for the occasion by the Association. The thanks of the Brigade are due to Fireman Bradley, who acted as secretary for the Fete, and much of the success is .due to him for his untiring and whole-hearted services. In conclusion, your Committee trusts that this Brigade, by careful management and with the assist ance of all members, will maintain the strong position it has now attained. In connection with the fire last night tho Brig ~le experienced the same old trouble with regard to finding tho plugs. We trust that the Council will now take the matter in hand and see that all plugs are carefully examined. In moving tho adoption of the report, Captain Grubb said it needed little comment. The Brigade had rot had a strenuous year, hut tho attendance of members at musters had been well up to the average. Fireman Crossan seconded, and the motion was carried. ATTENDANCE FOR THE YEAR. The attendance roll for the year being read, it was shown that Captain Grubb, Custodian Burgess and Fireman Henry topped the roll with only one absence.

An offer by Fireman Bradley to supply for next year a trophy for the members topping tho attendance roll was accepted with" thanks.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers resulted: Captain, Mr T. C. Grubb (re-elected); !ion,tenant. Mr A. J. Davey; first foreman, Mr W. Rowson (re-elected); second'foreman, Mr E. Drake; secretary, Fireman O. Bradley; treasurer, Fireman A. Moon (re-elected); custodian, Fireman Burgess (re-elected); committee, Firemen F. Davies, A. E.i Gorton and W. Brocklebank ; auditors. Messrs D. Sole and Hf Burmister (re-elected). A RESIGNATION. F.xJLieut. Wilson tendered his' resignation. He said he had been a memo<>r of the Brigade for about ten years, during which time he had given of his best as fireman, officer, and competition man. He could not agree to stay in the Brigade under men whom he bad previously been over. The resignation was accepted with regret and ex-Lieut. WilsnliVtialntr was Maced on the list of life members. BELGIAN RELIEF FUND. It was decided that half the proceeds of the coming ball should be d"voted to the British and Belgian Relief Fund. ANNUAL DINNER. After the businesshmeeting concluded, the members of the Brigade and the visitors adjourned to the main hall, where an excellent supper was partaken of. The Brtrough Council was represented,; by ttye Mayor and Crs King ahd Thompson. Rcpresentativos of the Inglewood, Waitaia Eltham and Hawera Brigades were present. Apologies, for absence were received from Mr P. Skogluud and Cr. Fredric.

Captain Grubb imposed “The Borough Council.” The Brigade, lie said, had the best feelings towards the Council, who did everything possible in the way of supplying equipment. There was talk of a- hire Board ioi Stratford, hut the Borough Council was a live body and they took as much interest in the Brigade as any Hoard could.

The. Mayor, in response, thanked Captain Grubb for the generous terms in which he had referred to the Council. Personally it had always been a pleasure for him to deal with the Brigade’s affairs. He thought it was the case with other Councillors. One reason for this was the fact that tbh Brigade was such a keen body. He felt that ho could say that the Brigade was as efficient as that in any town of the size. The Brigade had always been reasonable in its demands. They wanted a motor engine, and they would get it when the Borough could spare the money —if the Brigade did not in the meantime get it on its own account. As to a Fire Board, the matter needed careful consideration. In the past the Brigade had got along very amicably with the Council, hut if on mature consideration it was found that a Board would bo better, then they would get one. As to the water supply he felt that the picsout supply was inadequate as regards pressure for fire purposes. Without being an alarmist, bo felt that the situation was serious, and could not see what would save the town in the ease of a big conflagration except the brick walls and the zeal of the firemen. Vie would endeavor to have the present condition of things remedied. Crs, King and Thompson also responded. The Mayor proposed “The Fire Brigade.” He said the Brigade was .o bo congratulated ion the excellent repott presented. The Garden Fetj held was a great success and no doubt it vould be repeated this year. Ho could bear testimony to. the hard work done by Fireman Bradley, as secretary, it had always struck him as remarkable how the old members of the Brigade stuck to their posts. This was more so than

in the case of any other volunteer body, i„ was a great credit to the Brigade that six members of the Brigade had answered the call to bght for the Empire—six was a very considerable proportion of the memOership. ■

Captain Grubb, replying, said the chief idea in holding the Garden Fete was to raise money to purchase a. motor fire engine. Part of the credit balance had been ear-marked for the purpose. Particularly pleasing reference had been made to old members of the Brigade.- There were members of the Brigade who had beeh with the Brigade for the whole of its twenty years of existence. It was hoped to be able to have the next Taranaki demonstration in Stratford. The . six members who had gone to the fmnt were the picked men of the Brigade, and he was sure they would uphold the British traditions when they met the Gormans. 1 ■ ■ ' > . . ■ .* i

Ex-Lieut. Wilson proposed “The Army and Navy.”

CV. King, in response, said that at present the world was going through the biggest war in history, and the British Army was at present .bearing the brunt of the struggle. They all hoped that the members of the Brigade who had - gone to te front would return safe and well. Members of the Brigade had gone to the front, but there were also members of the Brigade who had sent sons to the call of the Empire. We in New Zealand, one of the outposts of the Empire, wore greatly indebted to the Navy, without the services of which New Zealand would undoubtedly have fared very badly. Mr C. U. Sole said he deplored war as a means of settling international disputes, and ho looked forward with hope to the coming of international arbitration. Britain had had an unjust war thrust on her. It was now tjic duty of every able-bodied man to join the defence forces of the Dominion. He was proud to he a member of the Stratford Defence Rifle Club. At the same time the Government should give every opportunity for the training of all able-bodied men and touching them to shoot. •Foreman Rowson proposed “Life Members.”

Ex-Captain Kivcll. replying, said he hoped to he present when his two old comrades, Foreman Rowson and Fireman Crossan, would receive their gold stars for twenty-five years’ service. It had to he remembered that twenty-five years was a long time to wait for the star, working hard all the' time for nothing. As for himself, whenever the bell went in Stratford, he would lie on the scene to do whatever lie could to help the Brigade. "So long as he had a leg to run about on he would ho a fireman. Mr C..D. Solo also responded briefly. Ex-Lieut. Wilson made a few remarks on the necessity of discipline in every Brigade. Fireman A. E. Gorton proposed “The Visitors.” He said that at no previous dinner had. ho soon such a representative gathering of members from other Brigades in, the province. Captain Nuttall, Eltham, in responding, dwelt on the comradeship engendered in fire brigade work. He was personally satisfied that Loth the Stratford Brigade and the Borough Council would benefit if a Fire Board was instituted, and he would favor Eltham and Stratford having a joint Board. Like Stratford, the Eltham Brigade had nothing to complain about in reference to tl’eir treatment by the Borough Council.

Captain Coin ill, Inglewood, said it did him good to know of the happy financial position of the Stratford Brigade, and it was gratifying to hoar how well the Brigade got on with the Borough Council. Foreman Bowen, Waitara, and Foreman Grant, Tlawera, a I so replied shortlv. Foreman Grant said that the Hawera Brigade was under a Fire Board

jiid they had nothing to complain of, ■ecomng all the equipment they asked or. However, while the Stratford Brigade got on so well with the Council hey did not want a change. If the brigade ever fell out with the Council hoy would lint regret going under a Board. The Hawera Board had install'd street alarms, had provided for a notor engine, and was paying the expenses of six men to the Timaru denonstration. He thought better treatnent could not be looked for. Ex-Lieut. Wilson proposed “The oadies,” stressing the great help which tad always been extended to the Brigade by the ladies of Stratford. They lad always materially helped towards die success of the annual juvenile ball, uul the ladies had also done very much 'owards making the Garden Fete a success. Fireman Davis responded. Fireman Bradley proposed “The Press,” which was suitably responded :o. The toast-list was concluded with "Absent Comrades,” having special reference to the six members of the Brigade with the Expeditionary Force, uid tlie sons of Ex-Captain Kivell ami Foreman Rowson, who had also gone to the front. The gathering concluded with the singing of “Anld Lang Syne” and cheers for the visitors. During the evening songs were contributed by Messrs. J>. H. Thompson, FT. W. Douglas, Davis, Philpott (Elthani), T. Wilson, G, Bradley, Redward (Waitara), and Chignell. Mr J. H. Thompson gave valuable help as accompanist.