New Plymouth Fire Brigade.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7802, 19 April 1905, Page 2

New Plymouth Fire Brigade.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the New Plymouth volunteer Fire Brigade was held at the fire station on Tuesday evening, when Captain V. Bellringer presided over - a good attendance. —Report.— In presenting* his annual report the Captain congratulated the Brigade upon its present slate of elllcicncy, und also on the promptitude and regularity with which members hud responded to the calls made on their tcr vices during the year. The Borough had been remarkably free from serious lires. In every case the outbreaks had been trot small, and had been suppressed with little loss to either, the insurance societies or owners. The number of alarms g'heu was 14, and the average attendance at each" was 2a. Uepresentations had been made to the Borough Council regarding the want of better accommodation for the Brigade in the east ward. Commodiou* and suitable rooms in the new building erected by them now fully met the needs o,f the Brigade, whose thanks thus were due to tho Council for providing for their retirements. Fireman Sadler had been uppointcd custodian and was now in occupation and charge of the premises.

It had been doomed advisable that the rules should be revised and tin brigade registered under the " Unclassified Societies Act." The retjuirenients of" the Registrar had finally im.ti met and the registration completed. At the United Fire Brigades' As-, socialion Conference and demonstration at Dunedin, the brigade hod been represented by the Captain as delegate, and a team. The team bad been very successful, winning two first prizes and one second. The brigade was in a satisfactory financial position at present. After meeting all liabilities they started the new year with « credit balance of £l9 lis 6d. Of thut amoun|t they would have to expend about £2O in present requirements. The plant and centra) stotion had been well looßed after toy' Custodian Way, and the conduct of the «ix resident auxiliaries had teen excellent. —Election of Officers.— The following officers were rc-elo;-ted :—Sub-Supcrlhtendcui, Mr Iloon • foremen, Messrs J. Roberts. J. Johnson, and .1. Clarke ; ladder company foreman. Mr T, Partington ; secretary, Mr T. R. Ford ; treaHurcr. Mr F, Ucltringcr ; central custodian, Mr J. Way ; custodian east waid, Mr J, Sadler. The Captain (Mr F. Iteltriflgar) is elected for a term of three years, ouu of which has expired. The new offcers elected were : Committee, Messrs 0. Tempero and W. Sadler ; auditors, Messrs Way and Moverlcy,

—Plant.— Authorisation was given for 1000 feet of new hose. SOCIAL FUNCTION. A large company assembled at the I Trocadvro, Egmout Slroet, in the evening, when the Brlgado held their annual dinner 'in enthusiastic mam ncr. The chair was taken by Cantata Bellringer, nml among the visitors were the Mayor (Mr It. Cock), Mr. E. M. Smith, M.H.K., the Town Clerk (Mr F. T. Wlringor), the Borough Engineer (Mr E. Harvey] (Jibbon) and Mr E. Dockrlll, un exMayor. The vice-chair was t,:ken by Ucutonunt Boon. The host, Mr llule, catered In excellent style lor W>e function, which passc<d off very pleasantly and successfully. An enjoyable musical and varied programme enlivened the proceedings, which opened with the loyal toast.

In proposing the toast of " Parliament," the chairman expressed the opinion that on the whole Tnranuki hud been very well represented in the House (Hear, hear). Mr 0. M. Smith, M.H.U., responded in characteristic manner. After upholding the legislation of the Liberal Party he made speciul mention of the Hill to aid Are brigades, und this he boHcved would be passed next session. He had presented the superintendetnt with an early copy of the measure, which proposed ' that

thti insurance companies shouM pay a proportion of the upkeep of the brigades. Tlw speukcr considered Uie New Plymouth Urigndc most creditable, and- he prophesied even better service in the future when the' brigade would hayc the benefit of the new water scheme, with n pressure of 15<Hb to Uie square inch, half as much again as the old system provided. ltovcrting to political mattery he said {he new labour Party which was J«;ing formed with the idea of displacing the Uucral Party should be carefully watched. To become nn adherent of the newparty one hud to sink his principles and blindly pledge himself to a certain platfoiin, irrespective of the conditions prevailing. They should be very chury at giWng it their support. He disbelieved fho story, originating in an Auckland paper, that thoro was- a split in the Cabinet, that Mr Seddon would go Home to Engjlaud and Sir Joseph Ward resign. They would never take such a step without reference 1o the people who put thorn In power. The Government deserved their hearty support, if only for tholr encouragement of local industry. Only recently the Government Geologist had reported on the petroleum boring industry, and the Covermnont hud' promised a small graint to aid development. 'Ho telieved ibe GovcrnifWht would keep their promise to erect the new post office and tower, and would not rest until tenders i were called. The sooner it was >. dono the better, to provide work at I | the present juncture. Afim- «,..„„ I

retrospective remarks on Ms lone : connection with the interests of the district, Mr Smith concluded iHth ; the announcement that he would , stand for re-eleetion against air , comers. (Applause). H e apologised ior the absence of Mr Jennings, who was visiting his constituents. , The Mayor proposed "Sucoewt to the I'irc- llrigade." It was one of the best brigades in the colony he suid, and had taken a foremost place at tho Duuedin demonstration recently, at which sixty or twenty brjjfadi-s competed. (Applause). At tho same timo tho brigade was not so well equipped as it should be, and ho hoped members would pull together until it was. He considered that in u large wooden town like Xew l'lyuioulh Iho time hud arrived when ono or two paid men should be constantly on tho station premises to expedite " turn-outs." Hofrriing to the financial aspect. He considered the present molnod most satisfactory, Th« Act shoold Rive' Uicm some better means of raising funds' for the upkeep o| the brigade, ami h 0 the proposal to make the insurance companies pav a proportion would bo carried next session. Tlic brigades saved the Insurance companies many n

year. For years past there had not been a building in New l'lvmouth totally tlcstroj-od by lire, yet the underwriters were not made to Contribute one penny piece. The brigade had to depend on the Couneil's subsidy of £IOO per annum, and, money raised by balls, sutacripl twins, etc., dH» coming out of the pockets of the ratepayers. It was moat unreasonable to exi>cct brigades to subsist on chai-Uv, as it vvero, m this manner. Tbc' new water scheme would obvlute anv shortage of water in the future. ' The Mayor added that he wna pleased to sua a brigade had been formed at lutzroy,. In conclusion, he congratulated the officers and men upon Mien- tulniirable record. Captain Del I ringer, In re*)k.iid:n.' made reference to tlu* pr-'carious iinancial c.xisuuicu of the bricud.- In raising .funds they had lu thank the ladies of \„h- riyinouih for the' work they hud done in gcuiii" ui> the annual ball. lie hope;l the new Hill would become law. : ..m-I! « u '"* ,ni l"<>l'osel theioast the Mayor and Councillors '• || c . was gad to see the. Council' continuing the pu|i«vv of assisting the brigade ni. much as possible. Referring to the new water fchonic, he hail no hesitation in saying that Mr Skinner should In, given the credit of jwinff Uii aullior. (Applause), iho Mayor, in acknowledging the >oast, snkl that to Mr Dockrill and thu previous Council was due the credit for initialing (he bis; works in progress and. raising the iikhvv I he present Council bad had a somewhat tr.wng legacy, but had done good work. The .Mayor went on to ii-uly to ne\vh|iu|H'r criticism nboul the finances, declaring- that tho Ilorough finances were |>orfectly bound, and the llorough, inuulcl|)aliy and from u lra<le point of view, one of the best in New_ Zealand. (Applause). The loan money had been well spent, mid although the «- mount was shoit for the completion irf twine o( tfoo works, that was -jy*

the fault of the Council or thatr prcdoceesor*, bub the engineer on [whose advice they acted. 11m waterworks estimate had only beta exceeded because of additional work underground, which could not be forefen. He Mid, in conclusion, that ho wag alwaya pleased to answer. 2J3* ?£ X* 0 " 1 ** »t<Wer, and ibo Tlown Clerk would aJwava Ucuteuant ltoon aubwltled the toast of the 'VWU„,TS3 O/ . "" Captain Griffith*. & u,? Hngude, in responding actaowladX cd the kind „£.*»£ SSIS the Now Mymouth men lT mttb» tho new brigade underlay. their service* were required the wS ioy men would always be pleased io assist the town brigade. <Apri*W Other toasts honoured were--tS B Ludius, proposed by Hreman J. Uenuett, and responded to Inttul man Clow ; ••■The Vnmi .. by the chairman ; and ''llm HbStT The speeches were M-Twwranii with wMi* coniSS uawlolia and guitar selection,*£ Messrs F. and H. J. S; .ng, Mr Ky> U;BOne a, -^Tll Aoioiuon" and -at* Carnival f. Cornwall; comic «ong» uJO? Cooper and 1». ltoaa; *,»«,, r Anchor" and another, Mr J dm« songs, "The Song That Will JJvi «i. tver and " Coao "»lobV. iZ i iT 000 . 1 . 1; hu reading, Mr J. UeniieU; gong. -An Old b w J3[ beoH/"- (encored), Mr H MooTt song "The Yeoman-. WeddSnfrMr F, Cornwall, and other item,