The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1882.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4333, 20 November 1882, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1882.

The Borough Council's action with regard to the Shortland Fire Brigade can only be characterised as contemptibly unfair. It is sad to see so much narrowness and pettiness on the part of men elected to administer the affairs of the public. When it was proposed to amalgamate the brigades, and have one central station, several councillors were strongly in favor of that idea, but somehow the Shortland brigade managed to lire. One Councillor, Mr McGowan, we believe, said at last meeting that they could have forced the amalgamation. That may be so, but as they did not, they should now be content to deal out even banded justice, and not try to worry the Shortland brigade oat of existence. The intention of the Insurance Companies in making the annual donation of £50, is still an open question, for the letter read by Cr Carpenter, agent of the Colonial Company is more than a set-off against the statement of Cr Osborne, agent of the Victoria Company. It is plain to be seen that it was the intention of a clique of Councillors to thwart the Shortland Brigade in.this matter. The money was paid over to the Grahamstown Brigade as in former years, for their own private expenditure, that is to say, without responsibility to the Council, and apparently they were quite content with their share, for they never complained. The Town Clerk, impounded the other £25 as Borough funds. But the Shortland Brigade asked for that money, and soon the "fat was in the fire." The Town Clerk very persistently asserted that there was an express understanding that this money was not to go to the Brigade; but no one else remembered it. Some Councillors challenged Mr Dean's assertion, and defiant words passed. But no one could support the Town Clerk's statement, further than that the Shortland Brigade's undertaking to do everything for £70 implied what Mr Dean had construed into a specific understanding. Clearly, however, if the £50 was a donation from the Insurance Companies the Shortland Brigade had s perfect right to calculate upon receiving it when estimating for what they could maintain themselves. To discuss and to settle, if possible, whether it was a donation or not was a legitimate subject enough, and the battle should bare been fought out on those grounds only. If it was not a donation then the Short* land folk wouid hare to make the best of a bad bargaiu ; if if was, half should have bttsii paid over to that brigade without

demur To raise the quibble—we use : the term advisedly—about the on« brigade being larger than the other at [ that late hour of the day would appear to Hndicate that persons who despaired oi being able to gaiu their ends by fair argument were determined to be obstructive. Will any liberal ri^htmiuded man in the commuuity agree that to convert the system which had been in force for years into a capitation graut, because one brigade was supposed to be stronger by a few men than the other—and thai, without any previous warirng—reasonable or right? Could any step have been taken more likely to create jealousy and [ discontent ? Did the circumstances of the case call for such an alteration? If i not, the step was not only unnecessary but harmful. Again, one Councillor made certain insinuations about some members of the Sbortland Brigade, to the effect that they were only dummies, some working at Bagnall's mill. In a public meeting where the issue was to bfc decided, and^o opportunity would offer of answering a charge so damaging, persons should be exceedingly careful of their utterances. The Shortland Brigade was in a position, it is alleged, to repel that charge. The Superintendent of that brigade was in the Council Chamber, but his accusers bad not the courage, when challenged, to ask him for an explanation. Neither Cjuncillor Osborne nor the Council had a right—unless caprice have a right—to insert any such stipulation as that men must be members of the brigade six months, with a view to making the action of the resolution retrospective. Such a provision may be judicious in itself, but it should only affect the future, not the past. We take it for granted that the Shortland Brigade did augment their numbers by several men, to entitle them to an equal share of the graDt, but it by no means follows that these were intended as dummies. But the question is, or should be, was that brigade strong enough for efficiency? That it was not as efficient as it should be the fire at Mr Dann's premises clearly proved. On that occasion a want of either judgment or skill was very evident. Still we are inclined to think that the brigade was strong enough with regard to numbers, but lamentably deficient in training. That however, is a matter capable of rectification. When the Shortland Brigade undertook to maintain itself efficiently for £70, it was not anticipated that it would in order to get half of the Insurance Companies' donation—the balance of evidence is in favor of the grant being a donation —have to maintain an equal number of men to that which the Borough Council mightchoose to lavish Corporation funds upon in Grahamstown.. It is a matte: 1 worth consideration if there are not some half-dozen more men in the Grahamstown Brigade than is required, more especially when there is a sister brigade at the other end of the township to assist at fires. That in itself is of little moment, but it assumes some importance in the face of the efforts being made to depreciate the other brigade because of the fewness of its members. We join issue with Cr McGowan, and challenge him to prore that the Council has not control over the Shortland Brigade, or that it cannot compel efficiency. We trust the Grahamstown Brigade will display such a spirit of fraternity as to decline to receive the £4 or £5 extra which some members of the Council would give them at the expense of their sister brigade, obtained by means, and on pretences, reflecting little honor on the promoters, and humiliating to the community which they represent.