ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CARTEUTON VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 907, 24 October 1881, Page 2

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CARTEUTON VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE.

Tim Brigade was initiated pursuant to a public meeting of householders held at the Public Hall, Carterton, on Friday, 24th September, 1880, that the formation of such a body was desirable. The same evening the full compliment of tl:e Brigade, as subsequently limited by the rales to 30 mombers, was filled up, and has since been almost uniformly maintained. The Brigade subsequently purchased a fire engine from the L, and L, andG, Insurance Company, with attendant fittings, hose, anh appartus, and have since erected an engine-house, committeeroom, and belfry,, and constructed a well on thq land given them by MrT, Hooker. The officers of the Brigade consist of a captain, lieutenants senior and junior, foreman, branchman, assistant branohman, secretary, and treasurer.. Practice is held weekly on Tuesday evenings, and a monthly meeting is held on the first Tuesday in each month for the nomination and election of members, the considera'iou "f correspondence, aid passing «f accounts, and nny other tuotiers affectiiiL' 'h« we'fare of the

From i hu forum' ion of. the Brigade to the first annual meeting held on the 6th September," 1881,'. there lwd Mi 45 parades with an aggregate attendant of

840 inenjherfl, equivalent to an average) weekly attendance of 18f members. The Brigade hare been called out on active service on 10 occasions, and the alarn. has been ■ uniformly responded to by a gaud muster of members. Their services were called for at the bush fire in- the rear of the cottages of the Pojish settlers, near Arnold's line] that at the rear of Mr T. Price's mill, when the Brigade i were on the, ground for nearly twelve ■ hours, and that when .the Romah Catholic Chapel, the Parsonage, and Mrs Rutherford's house were endangered by the fire on the opposite side of the road; when the stables and outbuildings l at the Marquis of Normanby Hotel, Drnmgold's . boarding-house, and Mr 6. Bowie's stables were burnt down; when Messrs Gardner's, Barlow's, and C. A. Fairbrother's chimneys were on fire, and when (he Pioneer Hotel was on fire. Where the flames have got fairly hold of a building, the efforts of the Brigade for its protection, owing to the inflammable nature of which structures in the District are built, must, in the majority of cases, prove Futile, or nearly so, but the efforts of the Brigade can be advantageously exerted in keeping the fire damped, and protecting adjacent buildings. The abjection that was raited as to the inutility of the Brigade owing to the incompetency of the water supply has been proved to be without foundation, as on every occasion when the services of the Brigade have been required so far, and as it may in the future be confidently relied on will be the case, the wells in the vicinity of the conflagration have been found to afford a sufficient supply] of water to feed the engine, and meey all needa, although the'past summer wlfs an except ionally dry one. Owing to the Quantity of glass and old tin lying about the yard at the ;time of the fire at the Marqais of Normanby Hotel stables considerable damage was done to the delivery hose the Brigade then possessed, and it was thus found necessary to obtain a fresh supply of Irnae, and 325 feet were accordingly furnished, on order by Messrs Garr'ri' P, Kirkcaldie & Co, of Wellington, on which fresh couplings have been fixed, and has been tested to be thoroughly sound and fit for service.

The total amount received by the BriSlide to tia'e has been fSO 14a lOd, and the total payments'made 150 78 10d, The present liabilities of the Brigade are 17816s 2d, Were the latter once discharged it would take but a limited annual sum tn secure the thorough efficiency of the Brigade, and to provide foe all contingencies.

Doubtless, the public were backward in supporting the Brigade, in the first instance from tiro reasons—the doubtfulness of a sufficient water Bupply—and the question whether the Brigade with the lapse of time might not, when, the novelty nf the motion had subsided becotno negl'jent in attendance and practice, and wcrkintj in such a matter as to render themselves thoroughly efficient when their services were required. The experienc# of the past year has negatived bnth these d»ubts, and the Brigade therefore feel they have some firm foundation on which to come before the publio and ask for their supoort, While in such case of need, doubtless, every one would be found ready and willing to help his neighbor, the efforts of a body of men united, and dins antly working together, having their B'tions directed by a body of competent officers, whom, they are bound to obey, are more likely lo I>b efficacious (or the protection of life and property than the disjoined action of other individuals, however willing to assist, who, ignorant of the best course to adopt, act each on his own responsibility. The Brigade would therefore respectfully submit to their fellow townsmen that they should be supported by a voluntary tax. Should any householder or man of business feel inclined to give any special dona* 'ion, the thanks of the Brigade will be gladly accorded them, while its thanks are freely tendered to those who have generously aided their efforts in the past. Appended is the balance sheet of the Brigade with itemized statement of liabilities. Balance Sheet,

Receipts, £ s. d, Tn Contributions ... 33 15 6 Proceeds of Entertainment 8 0 Q Caps purchased ... ,,, 9 0 0 W • Booth & Co., Timber ... 6 4 4 ;£50 14 10 Exfknditubk, Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company, Engine 25 0 0 Printing and Advertising ... 6 7 9 Incidental ExpensesRailway Freight 0 19 G Kerosene 010 0 Well 2 3 9 Caps 3 15 0 Stationery, Postage, &c. 0 it 6 Building Contract 5 10 0 W. Booth & Co., Timber ... 6 4 U Balance in hand 0 f 0 (£501410 Building Fond. Contributions 7 12 0 General Fund 6 10 0 Amount due 1 18 0 £15 0 0 Amount of Contract... 15 0 0 £16 0 0 General Fond. Liabilities. A. Eisk 8 9 3. J. Chew 13 0 0 G Beckett & Co 0J1 G ■, J Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company r o o A Whiteford 6 2 0 W. Wiley ..; 115 0 W. Booth & Co 13 2 0 Umlding C"iitract 118 0 Gardner, KMcaldie, & (Jo. ... 617 5 T, Hooker i 3 12 0 G. Bowles „i ... 317 G S. Mark's Vest y ... ,, r 6 0 0 C.ips si ld to mpfnbera ... 2 6 0 Advertising !! 012 6 Balance 72 1G 6 1 £151 13 6 Assets. ' Engine Shed, Ground, and Bell ... ... ... ... 100 0 0 Engine and Apparatus i ... 50 0 0 Balance in hand ... ... o 7 0 Caps in hand ... j 0 14 0 Rule books in hand ... 012 6 416118 6