FIRE BRIGADES' ACT DIFFICULTY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 1 May 1907, Page 2

FIRE BRIGADES' ACT DIFFICULTY.

JAt Press Association. Wellington, April 3u. lleeently the Lower .IJutt Borough Council decided to take a poll as to converting the borough into a lire district under the Fire brigades' Act, but discovered that a certain provision of the Act (Section !>J) would have a very de-

iriiueutal effect, inasmuch as it was heid by the Council and its solicitor that, 011 the creation of a lire district, all lands and buildings occupied by a brigade lie came vested in the Board, which has to pay to Lhe. local authorily a venial of per cent, on the capital value oj' all laud and buildings so vested in the board. This would have been a serious

matter for the Council, as the land in question is worth anything up to ;C2f>oo. Accordingly the poll was iudeliniMy | postponed. U is believed many other 1 boroughs are in a similar position. The. lion. i)r. Fimllay, under whose department the administration of the Act comes, says he has considered the section of lhe Act referred to, and he continued, "1 do not think it admits of the

meaning attributed to it by the Mayor of Lower llntt. I admit that the section is badly worded, but I don't think it can be construed so as to vest in a Fire Hoard any greater interest th;iu is vested ill a lire brigade. It is clearly not intended to transfer the fee simple, for the section provides for rental to be paid to "owners of lands," nor can it be in my opinion the intention of the Act, to give a board a Icase-in-perpctuity. I think the Act does nothing more than ell'ect a transfer from a brigade to a Board of a brigade's estate, and its interest in lands occupied by it. If a brigade is a mere tenant at. the will of a borough council, there is nothing in the Act which prevents the Council from determining the tenancy at any time, notwithstanding the creation of a fire board.

CONFERENCE OF FIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES. Per Press Association. Wellington, April 30. A conference of insurance managers doing business in the colony met this morning, and subsequently a deputation waited on Dr. Findlay to discuss the Fire Brigades' Act, The proceedings were of a private nature.