MASTERTON VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2300, 20 May 1886, Page 2

MASTERTON VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE.

Messrs Easthope and Mansell waited o; the Council on Tuesday night on behalf o seventeen firemen, who were willing t( give their services to the Borough on con ditioim. ■ My Easthope, by permission o tho Council, said he had been requostei by the Volunteer Brigade to attend then that night and offer their services, Tin majority of the men had been long con nected with the Firo Brigade, and mauj had been members for years, and the; offered their services believing it wouli be beneficial to property owners and t saving to ratepayers t« accept them. Hi had made a few .notes of their proposal and would leave it for them to discuss. The Mayor said he only know fron newspaper reports that there won Volunteer Firemen ready to offor thoi services. From these reports he saw M Easthope was Secretary and Mr Mui Captain—was that the case ? Mr Easthope and Cr Muir said thi reports were quite correct, they repre sented IT volunteers. The Mayor read the minutes of i Council meeting, September 1885, ii which a report of a deputation consist™ of Mr Easthope and another was recorded The minutes stated Mr Easthope, 01 behalf of tho Volunteer Fire Brigade offered to hand over to the Council al their assets on condition that the Counci paid their liabilities. This the Counci agreed to, That being the case, he wouli like to ask Mr Easthope if -he couli explain how tho Volunteer Fire Brigadhad applied to Mr Pearce for the manua ongine, and hiid also applied for the lens of the engine shed. Mr Mansell said the manual had beei applied for by Mr Elkins on behalf of th volunteers. Mr Easthope said the engines were.no in the assets of the old Volunteer Brigade and there was no lease in existence fo the engine shed,, The Mayor thought the course adoptei moat unusual after the Council had takei over and paid all their liabilities. The deputation having withdrawn, thi question was discussed. The Mowin; is the rough draft of the proposals sub initted to the Council The Voluntee Brigade proposes that tho Borough Coun cil shall hand over to it all appliance (the same to remain the property of th Council), and shall pay an annual sum o one hundred pounds, The Voluntoe Brigade will undertake all. duties an responsibilities of firo extinguishing, pa; pumpers, keep plant in repair, and pro vide new hose, uniforms, and bucl smaller articles of the plant aa funds wil permit. The Brigade will.undertake no to come to the Council for any additions sums besido that named abovo, Thi proposal shows a clear gain to the Counci of £IOO por annum inasmuch as th municipal schemo of fire prevention not before the Council will cost fully £2OO po annum tocarry out, which will be as fol 10w525 men at 36b, £46; three officers £SO; engine keeper, £l2; pumpers ai two fires per annum, £6O j 25 men at twi fires, three hours each fire, at 2s each poi hour, £ls; 12 chimney fires at 2s per hou for 25 men, £ls; repairs and additions fc plant, £SO; total, £247. Tho Mayor said the offor submitted was moro favorable than the course thi Council had finally adopted at their las meeting, but they were asked to und what they deliberately agreed to. He wa not going to make any unkind remarks but he must speak about the action of C Muir, He (CrMuir) was askod at th last meeting to accept the position o Captain, and declined, but he had sine accepted that of Captain to the Voluntee Brigade. He quite understood it wa consistent, .because' Cr Muir would no have anything to do with the Brigadi whilst under the control of the Council Ho had also resigned his appointment a Eire Inspector. Cr Muir said he declined to take charg of a paid Brigado, but did not object ti acting in that capacity for the Volunteers The Mayor said in regard to the lat Brigade, his attention had been drawn b; property owners, members of the Counci and others to the unsatisfactory state o the Brigade. They all agreed to th efficiency of the Brigade under Captaii Muir, but it was reported to him that th best men had all left when Captain Mui resigned, and the bulk of th# Brigado jus disbanded, consisted of men black-ballet from Captain Muir's Brigade. He unfot tunately believed these statements, am thought he ought, as Mayor, to take th initiative in rectifying matters. Severn persons were asked to take the captainc; and declined, and in justice to Mr Barke he must say that ho declined at first. M Pickering declined, because he said hi had a bad temper. • Mr Barker was i desirable. man; they had asked him t< jccept the office, and appoint his owi officers and men. He had done so, ant now they asked by the old Brigadt to take them on again, and save £l4O, Ho could only say he regretted they did not apply sooner. They had frequentlj threatened "to resign, and when the Council had actually called upon them tc lo so, they did not want to. Cr Perry said he could understand wlij 3r Muir would not accept the captaincy, 3e would get sacked without notice, like :he men were. Cr Maßon said Cr Muir had Beveral limes beon asked to take tho appointment. Cr Hessoy corroborated that. Cr Cullen moved, That the roquest of he volunteors be not acceded to. Cr Gapper seconded the motion. At lie same time he regretted the offer had lot come sooner. They could not honor- % disband tho Municipal Brigade. Cr Perry to Cr Gapper: Why should he Volunteer Brigade be disbanded without trial ? Cr Gapper: Tho chair 1b at the other nd. _

Cr Porry repeated his question to the Major. The Mayor: Is that t conundrum? (laughter.) . Cr Perry said he intended to give notice of motion to resoind the resolution of last meetine appointing a captain and paid members of a Fire Brigade, and for that purpose he moved the adjournment of the debate. The motion for the adjournment was put and lost, only Cr Perry voting for it. The motion of Cr Cullon was thon put, CrMuirirnsleaving the room, as he did not consider he was in order in voting on the question as it affected him, when Cr Gapper said that CrMuir was shirking the question, and hold that no Councillor had the right to leave the table without voting, after a motion had been put. The Mayor upheld Or Muir, who thereupon retired. A division was taken on the motion; For: Crs Cullen, Hessey, Mason, Gapper, Williams and the Mayor. Against; Cr Perry. The motion was therefore declared carried.