FIRE BRIGADES BILL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8873, 6 November 1907, Page 5

FIRE BRIGADES BILL.

GOVERNMENT OUT-VOTED. PROGRESS REPORTED. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, November 5. In the House of Representatives, last night, the Fire Brigades Bill was taken in Committee. At clause 5, which provides that the Governor-in-Council on application, may declare districts to be fire districts, one condition being that the population of the district shall be more than 5,000, Mr James Allen moved an amendment to substitute 1,000 for 5,000. Mr Field urged that the condition should be struck out altogether, so that any borough could take advantage of the Act. If the Minister could not agree to the suggestion then he might draft a clause to admit of several small bodies joining together so as to obtain the benefits of the Act. The Hon. J. Carroll said it was not a mere question of gratifying a body to enable it to form a fire district, but a question of finance. If the door was opened to small boroughs where insurance companies were doing only a small business and the cost of their share was close upon the amount of their business, then it would eventually devolve upon the local authority to find the whole of the expenditure and the local authorities would have to raise a rate to de-! fray the cost. He was, he said, prepared to reduce the population condition from 5,000 to 3,000. Mr Field moved as a prior amendment that two or more bodies might combine together for purposes of becoming a fire district. After several members had urgad reduction in tne population condition, the Hon. J. Carroll said it seemed to be a matter of choosing between 1,000 and 5,000. H° had already offered to come down to 3,003, and would be prepared to come down another thousand, otherwise he would be disposed to pass a bill for the four centres alone, and leave other districts out altogether. Mr J. T. M. Hornsby urged that the Minister should consent to a reduction to one thousand. He intended to vote for the amendment. Mr Symes contended that the Government tihould legislate for the whole dominion, and not for portions only. He added that the large centres were able to look after themselves. The Minister was prepared to come down to 2,000, but what about the smaller districts? Were they to be left to shift for themselves? The Hon. J. Carroll said the lion, member might as well claim that a ' centre with 100 population should be allowed to come un.ler the bill; but the whole matter was one of finance. He could not come down any further than he had done, and could not accept the amendment of the hon. member fyv Bruce. He would be prepared to give his support to an amendment in the direction of extending the bill next year, but not this year. Mr Field's amendment was carried by 32 to 20. The Minister then moved to report progress, and this was agreed to on the voices.