FIREMEN FRATERNISE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 255, 27 April 1912, Page 6

FIREMEN FRATERNISE

SOCIAL GATHERING AT FITZROY. Fire brigadesmen fraternised in the Fitzroy Hall 011 Thursday evening, on the occasion of the annual social gathering of the Fitzrov Fire Brigade. Superintendent F. C. J. Bellringer presided, and a lengthy toast list was gone through. In presenting the annual report of the brigade, Mr. R. H. Bellringer congratulated the officers and men on the manner in which tlicy had attended to their duties as firemen, and helped to keep the brigade up to its present state of efficiency. During the year the brigade procured a hose cart, which was paid for out of the lion, members' subscriptions. He bad also to thank the town board and the residents for the manner in which they had responded to the brigade's requests for assistance in obtaining hose, etc. On December 1, 1911, owing to the Fitzrov Town District being merged in the New Plymouth borough, the brigade came under the control of the New Plymouth Fire Board. The change, lie thought, would be a great advantage.

The toast of the United Fire Brigades' Association was responded to by Mr. F. C. J. Belli-inger, who remarked that that body had filled a long-felt want, and had lifted the brigades to a higher level. In recalling the good competitive performances of the Fitzroy brigade, the speaker stated that at Auckland it had secured first place in intercolonial competitions. The accident insurance fund had proved a great success, for there was always the possibility of an accident occurring in their work, and before this fund had been started they had had to put up with their bad luck as best they could. Last year £2OO had been paid out, and £3OO had been subscribed by the united brigades. He added that the next competition would be held either at Wanganui or Pal mere ton North, and the brigade must be nut through a severe test.

During the evening several speakers expressed the hope and the conviction that the good relationship between the Fitzroy and the New Plymouth fire brigades would still continue to exist, and that the idea that, now Fitzroy had amalgamated with New Plymouth, the borough wished to swallow up their brigade and make it lose its individuality, was quite foreign to their wishes. An election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows:—Captain, W. H. Griffiths; lieutenant, R. Parkin; foreman and secretary, R. H. Bellringer.