FIRE BRIGADES' CONFERENCE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 68, 10 March 1908, Page 3

FIRE BRIGADES' CONFERENCE

IVr Press Association. Jlasterton, Last -Night. The Fire brigade Conference decided to vote as a prize fund for essays on subjects connected with lire service in the Dominion; the prizes in each subject to be £5, XS, aud .CI. A subcommittee, consisting of the president, Captains Mitchell, Wynn, Jenkins, and Holland, and the secretary (Mr. Rob*bins), and Superintendent' Smith, was appointed to deal with applications for long-service medals. The rules were dealt with seriatum and revised, and new rules added. l'K ESI DEN T S ADDRESS.

Masterton, Last Night. The president, in his speech. staUJ, inter alia, that the Fire Brigades Act of I!XHi was, during the recent session of Parliament, repealed, and another Act passed containing many new and important clauses, notably the 20110 population basis necessary for the Act to operate, and also tile provision for dissolution of any Fire Board. "Under the latter clause," }je said, "the Council ft' the City of Wellington lias applied to the Governor-iti-Council to abolish the Fire Board already established in that city. The .Mayor of WellingtcV. when! di-' ii>-ing the matter in the Council, entirely lost sight of ilie important advantage to be derived under the Act. and' the arguments advanced by him prove most conclusively the Council's anion to be one of great weakness, against the interests of the ratepayers of that city, ami entirely in opposition to an improved and more effective lire service. Ihe Mayor lays stress upon the dangers of allowing control of thfire service and plant to depart from the Council to a separate hodv. J ask, is not the tire service under almost every Council in the Dominion controlled by a committee of that Council, and if the committee can successfully, manage that department, how nni.'li greater results would they achieve when assisted by three representatives from, insurance companies, who from the nature of their business cannot be classed as other than experts'; Any man who has had any practical experience in lire service of tile Dominion will admit the best interests of the fire departmeib of any city would be much better serv-d by a l>oard whose only dutv was carried out by that department rather than by the City Council, whose attention is engaged in so many otter channels. When we find such a grave error a- the one above refem(d to in this Clause, there appears a danger of the Act not being taken advantage of in some of the towns where a poll has already been carried, owing to the hoard demanding an efficient and complete service, the cost of which at lirst sight may appear much in etxeess i,f, (he previous annual cost; but the fact of improvements effected, together with, increases] security and general improved conditions to successfully cope with outbreaks of lire, must tie considered, for the cost of new or additional plant not recurring, and the lirst outlay, when averaged over a few years, will f.e found in most eases tu lie, even less than under the old and insecure conditions." Ike conference decided unanimously to suspend the (Jucenstown brigade for failing to take steps requested by the last eonterence in regard to a member, of that brigade who miscondueted himself at Christchurch, the brigade having) also failed to reply to letters of the, secretary bearing on the matter. It was decided tint the whole of tlm rules he revised.

It wis resolved to impose a. fine of half a guinea for failure on the part of brigade- ill future to wild ill certified copies of accounts. Capt-.lin Preston ( moved that tinle [i lie altered to provide that nominations for executive officer- lie in tin'- hands of the various of the as-Ociatinn not less than fourteen days prior to the meeting of delegates. The motion was carried.