GERALDINE DOMAIN BOARD,

Temuka Leader, Issue 2159, 5 February 1891, Page 3

GERALDINE DOMAIN BOARD,

The monthly meeting of this board was held on Tuesday evening last. Present Messrs A, White (chairman), W. S. Maslin, J, Williams, A. Sherratt, R. Hammond, N. Dunlop, and J. Mundell. GRAZING IN BUSH PARK. Mr Maslin, the lessee of the grass in the bush park offered the board a small sum to be allowed to graze the grass off with sheep only. He had cut it once, but the cutting was too expensive and unsatisfactory owing to the dead timber lying about Mr Dunlop opposed any such grazing. He pointed out that when the park was let before the Governor cancelled the lease on the grounds that the cattle were destroying the bush. If sheep were allowed in cattle would soon be allowed to follow. The matter then dropped, the bush fire. Claims for work in connection with the bush fire were received from Messrs Patrick and Kraus. It was pointed out that the exertions of Messrs Williams and Patrick had been of the utmost benefit when the fire first started. The members considered that if they paid Mr Patrick’s claim they would be opening the door for a great many more of a similar nature. Numbers of people had worked hard to save the bush, and considering the amount of property Mr Patrick had at stake, it was only natural he should work hard to keep the fire back. It was decided not to pay the claim. Mr Kraus being a member of the Fire Brigade, and the board having voted a sum of money to that body, it was decided the claim could not be entertained. Mr Geo. Ward also wrote claiming the sum of £1 4s 6d, which the finance committee had deducted from his account. £1 of this was for taking the engine to the bush on the second day of the fire.

It was pointed out that it had been arranged that Mr Ward should take the engine to the fire on that day, and he was paid for the time. The standing offer of the board was for the first horse taking the engine to a fire in the event of an alarm, not after it had been burning for 24 hours, and an arrangement had been made to take the engine. It was decided to abide by the decision of the finance committee which had adjusted the accounts. Mr Dunlop made the explanation asked for by the board at its last meeting re his refusing to allow his men, who were members of the brigade, to go to the fire. He said he had been wrongly accused, and rated the board on passing the resolution they did without having first heard his side ot the story. Two out of the three firemen in his employ were away when the bell rang. It was Saturday afternoon, when they were busy. There were only one male and oae female assistant in the shop besides himself. When the bell rang the former asked if he should go. He (Mr Dunlop) went outside, could see nothing of a serious nature, and thought it was hardly worth while for the assistant to go and leave the shop. For his own part he did not hear the bell, and did not consider there was any serious danger. He would be one of the very last to keep his men back, and had always been to the front if anything were needed. He was bound to have someone in the shop to take charge ot it, but if the fire had been really serious he would have closed the shop altogether, and he and all his hands would have gone.

He would be the last in the world to refuse assistance- He condemned the action of the board in judging him unheard. Mr Maslin thought Mr Dunlop s explanation should be deemed satisfactory. So long as they, as members of the board, recognised their duty to allow their men to go in the event of an alarm, it was quite sufficient. The chairman reported that, as authorised, he had invited tenders for cutting up the trees destroyed by the fire- Seven tenders had been received, and he had accepted Mr E. Johnson’s. It was decided to call tenders for the purchase and removal of the timber stacked at the rear of the board’s shed, the tenders to be in by the next meeting. This being all the business the meeting terminated.