MUNICIPAL v. VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4764, 4 July 1894, Page 3

MUNICIPAL v. VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES.

The following is acopy of Captain A Piokenng slotter to the Borough Council, read last evening ; - Masterton Municipal Fire Brigade Station. ■

July 3rd, 1894. _ Sira.-Whon tlio Secretary of tho Masterton Volunteor Fire Brigade, made application to tho Borougli Council for a grant of money in aid of Ins Brigade, he stated that one of his reasons for doing so was that tho members of the Municipal brigade had forestalled them by ■ /ollectTiig ffi OMy from the townspeople, and had, by their action, prevented the Volunteor Brigade! from receiving from the citizons the monetary aid that they expected, I, Sirs, on behalf of the Brigade I comjnand, gi vo a most emphatic denial o that statement, and further say that if fault is attributable to anyone, it is the Volunteer who are to blnmo as the following plain statement of facts will show:—Since the formation of the Municipal Brigado it lias been the custom ot the members to hold a social at the end of the year. The Brigade year terminates I on thclast day of April and the social A.IS held about the middle of May. flns year arrangements wcrq made for tho social as usual and Committees were appointed; the duty of one committee was to collect provisions from the citizens, somo of whom did notcaro tocontributo food nnd instead gavo a small donation in monoy. The total amount collected in money only amounted to two pounds fourteen shillings. Such a small sum could hardly havo exhausted the woll-known generosity of the people of Masterton, and was Certainly not tho cause that preven- ( Bttljjojublicfrom supporting the '! Volunteorl^^w^" i ? ,lt furl «or '• I state that tho does not terminato its year until ■ about two months after the Munici- \ pal, but this year, for some reason ! Best known to themselves, they determined to hold their social tho , same month as the Municipal, although their annual meeting had not boon held, nor their officers for , the present year elected. They did , tin's, knowing woll that their social I would clash with tho Municipal j social, and that in all probability ( either one or both would bo failures. , Hoping that this explanation will ho \ placed before tho Conncil, ' ~; I kg to remain, Sirs, • Your Obediont Servant, D. Piokemxo, '»'■•' Captain M.M.F.B. \