FIRE BRIGADES OF THE DOMINION. (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1934, BY THE INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1934 Session I, H-12

H.—12.

1934. NEW ZEALAND.

FIRE BRIGADES OF THE DOMINION. (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1934, BY THE INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Inspector op Fire Brigades to the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs. Office of Inspector of Fire Brigades, Sir, — Wellington, 25th October, 1934. I have the honour to submit the twenty-fifth annual report for the year ending 31st March, 1934, on the working of the Fire Brigades Act, 1926. Fire Districts. The Oity of Nelson was declared a fire district during the year, and the Fire Board took the unusual course of assuming control of the fire protection of the district during the same year. The number of fire districts in operation at the end of the year was fifty-four. Dominion Fire Waste. The national loss by fire during the year 1933, estimated on the same basis as in previous years, was £644,781, as compared with £867,714 for the year 1932 and an average of £1,332,032 for the five years 1927-31. These figures show a remarkable drop in the national fire waste for the past two years, the loss for 1933 being less than half that of the five-year average. It is difficult to make comparisons with the pre-war period, as the statistics for insured losses have only been kept in the present form since 1924, and there is some doubt as to the accuracy of the figures published prior to 1917. From the information available, however, it would appear that the loss for 1933 expressed in relation to population (Bs. 4d. per head), which is the only satisfactory basis of comparison, is comparable with the lowest figure recorded for the past thirty years. To some extent the fire-loss figures for the year clo not accurately reflect the true position, since they are based on the payments made by insurance companies, and by the terms of their policies the latter are required to refund to the insurer the replacement value only of insured property destroyed by fire. Property values, which had fallen considerably in 1932, were still further reduced in 1933, and to the extent of this reduction the fire-loss figures for the year represent lower values rather than a lesser quantity of property destroyed. It is difficult to estimate accurately the effect of these lower values on the year's returns, but it is considered that since about 75 per cent, of the insured property is situated in districts protected by fire brigades and most of the losses in these areas are partial ones only, the apparent reduction due to this cause would not exceed 25 per cent., leaving a balance of from 25 per cent, to 30 per cent, to be otherwise accounted for. The improvement in the fire-fighting methods and the equipment and efficiency of the fire brigades has undoubtedly affected the fire-loss position, but this is a gradual process and would be unlikely to be more than a minor contributing factor in the sudden drop which has taken place in 1932 and 1933. On consideration of the position there appears to be no reason to modify the opinion, expressed in the last annual report, that the principal cause of the marked reduction in fire loss is the more general understanding by the public of the facts regarding fire. Property-owners appear to have realized to a much greater extent than in the past that the insurance contract is an indemnity only, and that a forced realization on property through fire will on present-day values involve heavy loss in most cases. The marked decrease in the number of fires occurring, particularly in business premises, is evidence of the greater care with respect to fire which has been forced on the public through the severity of the depression.

H.—l2.

The following table shows for purposes of comparison the fire losses in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States of America.

It will bo noted that the fire-loss returns for the United States of America show a reduction as compared with the five-year period 1927-31 approaching that experienced in New Zealand, but that the larger proportion of this reduction .occurred in 193-3. The reduction in the American fire losses for 1932 was generally held by the authorities to be mainly due to the drop in propertyvalues, but it is significant that the very considerable reduction in 1933 occurred during a period of extreme financial disturbance. The financial conditions existing in Great Britain and in Canada were by.comparison normal, and the slight increase in loss in Great Britain during 1933 is attributed to the' effects of the very dry summer experienced and to the shortage of water for fire-fighting in some districts. Commenting on the 1933 returns for the United States of America, the Quarterly, the official organ of -the National Eire Protection Association, says editorially : — " Various authorities attribute this material reduction in the national fire losses to different causes. It is noteworthy, however, that the initial drop was coincident with the declaration of the bank moratorium and the adoption of the sixty-day rule by the insurance companies. The effect of the bank moratorium was to create scepticism as to the solvency of all financial institutions, insurance companies as well as banks, and made it temporarily impossible for the companies to pay losses. The decision to withhold payment of losses for sixty days discouraged incendiarism and made honest property-owners unusually careful to avoid having fires. . . . Just what percentage of the fire loss of the country is due to arson is a matter of conjecture, but the experience of the past year seems to substantiate the opinion that incendiarism, deliberate or unconscious, is responsible for a very substantial part of the total fire loss.'' Experience over many years and in different countries has shown that the great bulk of the loss by fire is due to carelessness. While it is not possible to prove conclusively the causes of the reduced losses either in the United States of America or in New Zealand, it is a reasonable assumption from the facts that the reduction is mainly due to a greater measure of care with respect to fire by the public generally, and that this greater care has been induced by the knowledge that under the existing financial conditions insurance is not an effective safeguard against personal loss in the event of fire. In New Zealand the public realization of this fact is due partly to the fire-prevention publicity campaigns undertaken in recent years, and partly to the action taken fairly generally by the insurance companies in the reduction of the insurance " cover " allowed, and by a tightening-up of the system of inspection of their risks. It would appear that the maintenance of the present more satisfactory position with respect to the national fire wastage is to a great extent in the hands of the insurance companies themselves. Inquiries made into fires of a suspicious nature almost invariably show that " over-insurance " lias taken place and the property is insured for more than it is worth. In such cases the insurer is likely to assume that he will gain by a fire. Conversely, if the public generally can be made to realize — as it has by the existing conditions--that insurance will only cover part of the fire loss, the greater care and lesser tendency to deliberate fires evidenced by the 1933 figures will have a permanenteffect on the national fire loss. Fire Loss in Fire Districts. It will be seen from Tables I and 111 attached that the fire loss in fire districts during the year ending the 31st March last was £245,195, and in areas protected by Fire Boards £39,158, or a total loss of £284,353, as compared with £201,736 for the previous year. This increase was due in some degree to the inclusion of additional fire districts (City of Nelson and several areas included in the Auckland Metropolitan District), but mainly to the fact that although the number of fires was slightly lower than during the previous year (732 as compared with 737), the number involving a loss of £5,000 or more increased from four to twelve. Of these fires, four occurred in Auckland (£50,353), one in Wellington (£5,100), five in Christchurch (£66,174), and two in Dunedin (£14,922), the loss in the twelve fires being £136,549, or practically half the total loss for the year. Although the loss per head (6s. 6d.) in fire districts is higher than for the previous year, it is still considerably lower than the national loss for the calendar year 1933 (Bs. 4d.) referred to above. Causes op Fire. The year's records show that there has been no great variation in the causes from which fires arise. Pride of place as the principal fire hazard is still held by the unguarded domestic fireplace, while fires from electrical equipment tend to increase, mainly owing to electric irons and radiators being left on after use. Next in order come fires from smokers' carelessness with matches, pipes, and cigarettes, this hazard being a prolific cause of fire in business premises. Fires from naked lights (candles, lamps, &c.) are decreasing in number with the greater use of electricity, but those from the domestic use of petrol inside buildings (home dry-cleaning) appear to be increasing and are the most prolific source of personal injury. The indications from the returns are that every year approximately the same number of people leave matches —and particularly wax matches —about for children to play with, light rubbish fires near buildings, use petrol or kerosene for lighting fires, place hot ashes in wooden containers, air clothes before open fires, look for gas-leaks with a lighted match, or contribute to the national fire waste in the other ways detailed in these reports from year to year.

2

Eire Loss per Head. New Zealand Fire Loss. 1 Great ! , | c^nada 1 . uaA _ ! , Zealand, j Britain. J | £ s. d. : s. d. I s. a. ! s. d. Average (1927-31) .. 1,332,032 18 I .. 5 0 .. 17 5 16 0 1939 . .. 867,714 11 5 1 36-9 3 9 | 25-0 16 8 4-3 13 2 17-7 1933 .. .. .. ; 644,781 8 4 53-9 4 7 8-3 12 1] 25-8 | 8 10 44-8 I 1 J 1 ; , j * Percentage drop on five-year average.

H.—l2.

Incendiarism. There has been a very definite decrease during the year in the number of fires recorded as of suspicious origin. The special inquiries by the police into all fires the cause of which is not clearly accidental have been continued, but the number of cases it has been found necessary to refer to the special committee for further consideration has been less than one-third of the number dealt with in 1932. Only seven coroner's inquiries into fires were held during the year. Arson is at all times a very difficult crime to sheet home to the offender owing to the fact that the fire very often destroys the evidence, but adjusters and insurance men generally with whom the matter has been discussed are unanimously of opinion that the work of the Police Department during the pjist three years has been very effective in checking incendiaristic fires. Owing to the publicity given to the procedure adopted with respect to these fires in these reports, in fire-prevention week activities, and by reason of the police investigations and coroners' inquiries, it is becoming fairly common knowledge that very searching inquiries will follow any fire having the least suspicious circumstances, and this fact alone tends to be an effective deterrent in most cases. The number of prosecutions taken during the year is set out in the following table : —

Death and Injury in Fires. Seven fatalities due to fires were recorded during the year —the same number as in 19.32. Of these' four were due to persons being trapped inside burning buildings, and three deaths were due to persons using petrol inside buildings in the vicinity of fires or naked lights. Only one fatality occurred in fires in hotels during the year. The number of persons injured during fires was, as would be expected from the lesser number of fires occurring, considerably below the average of the past few years. Only thirty cases were reported to the Department, and in only seventeen were the persons seriously injured. Hand Fire-extinguishers. In consequence of the bursting of a hand fire-extinguisher, which caused the death of a postal official at Hastings, and several other similar accidents with hand extinguishers, the Government set up a departmental committee during the year to consider and report as to the standard of construction and maintenance to be adopted for hand fire-extinguishers used in Government service, and also to consider whether it is desirable to introduce any legislation controlling the construction and maintenance of fire-extinguishers used by the public. The committee consists of the Chief Inspector of Machinery ; the Chief Mechanical Engineer, New Zealand Railways ; the Field Engineer, P. and T. Laboratory ; the Mechanical Engineer, Public Works Department; the Deputy Chief Inspector of Factories ; the Chief Inspector, Fire Underwriters' Association ; and the Inspector of Fire Brigades (Chairman). A number of meetings were held during the year, and a series of tests were carried out on extinguishers. Information is being obtained from abroad, particularly from Great Britain, and it is anticipated that it will be some considerable time before the committee will be able to bring down a final report. During the year a considerable extension has been made in the arrangement under which fire brigades undertake the servicing of fire-extinguishers for the public. The value of this service appears to be appreciated generally, and it- is anticipated that it will be further extended in the future. Fire Brigade Organization. In the survey of the fire-protection conditions existing in New Zealand, made in the last annual report, it was noted that in practically all the larger towns arrangements had been made for a number of firemen to sleep in the fire station, so as to reduce to the minimum the time taken by the brigade in responding to fire calls during the night hours, when the call is usually received at a later stage of the fire than in the daytime. In order to stress the necessity for this service and the desirability of maintaining wherever possible a fire-engine crew during the evening as well as the night hours, the following table has been prepared showing the number of fires and the loss experienced in the four principal cities (including the surrounding areas protected by the city brigades).

It will be noted that the percentages represented by the number of fires and the loss are practically in inverse ratio, and that while the heaviest loss occurs during the early morning hours, that experienced during the evening represents a very considerable proportion of the total, and the number of fires occurring during this period is proportionately higher than during the rest of the day.

3

L ,. ,, 1 Coronia) InYear. I roseeutions for (j 0 nviotions. Dismissals. quiries into Arson. Irires _ - - — f ~— | 1931 .. .. .. .. •• 28 16 I 12 5 1932' .. .. .. .. ■ • 27 21 6 15 1933 .. .. .. .. • • 13 7 i 6* I 7 * Three admonished by Court.

Period. I Number of Fires. | ° f Fire Loss . Pontage ° f t t" r £ 6 a.m.-6 p.m ,, ! 241 49-59 j 25,731 12-56 6 p.m.-Midnight.. .. ■■ 169 ; 34-77 i 64,200 31-34 Midniglit-6 a.m... .. .. 76 I 15-64 114,887 56-09 1 ' I

H.—l2.

Fire Engines for Secondary Towns. In the last annual report attention was called to the difficulties under which many of the fire brigades in the secondary towns are working owing to the insufficient volume of water available for fire-fighting. Most of the towns have a gravitational water-supply which is fed from the intake or reservoir through a carrier main of limited diameter (6 in. to 9 in.) and the maximum capacity of this main is sometimes as low as 200 gallons per minute, and in many cases below 400 gallons per minute. The reticulation in many cases is not adequately gridironed and long lengths of 4 in. and even 3 in. dead-end mains are frequently found. These will not carry sufficient water at pressure to give effective fire-fighting streams. There is a general impression on the part of the public —including many of the members of controlling local authorities —that if the water-supply system has a good static pressure that is all that is necessary, and it is the brigade's fault if fires " get away." It is not realized that when a large volume of water is drawn off there are heavy frictional losses in the pipe-line, and the 1 running pressure " through the fire-hose, which determines the effectiveness of the jet, is a very different thing from the pressure recorded on the gauge in the borough office during periods when ordinary domestic supply only is affecting the system. It may be taken for granted that, once a community has established at considerable expense a water-supply system which is efficient for domestic purposes, it will regard with considerable disfavour any suggestions for the improvement of the system solely to meet fire-fighting requirements, unless this can be shown —usually by some disastrous fire —to be absolutely essential, or there is a possibility of the ratepayers being partly recouped for their outlay by the consequential reductions in insurance premiums. Failing this improvement the only satisfactory way to ensure that the brigade will have a reasonable chance to fight serious fires is to equip the fire engine with a pump. This will enable the firemen to use all the water available at high pressure and so make up to some extent for the lack of volume. There is some difficulty in convincing the controlling local authorities as to the desirability of installing fire pumps by a mere statement of the theoretical considerations affecting their use, but, during the year under review, through the courtesy of the makers, it was possible to make actual tests with fire pumps in a number of towns where it was considered that the conditions existing warranted their use. These tests, of which typical instances are given below, not only proved the effectiveness of a pump over a wide range of water-supply conditions, but enabled the local-authority members to see for themselves the great improvement in the fire streams given by the pump as compared with the direct supply from the main. The flows shown were measured with a Prentice flow gauge and represent the maximum delivery from the hydrant with open waterway. The figures in parentheses show the quantity of water flowing at the pressures shown, and it will be noted that in all cases the pump utilized 80 per cent, or more of the total volume of water in the main.

Test No. 1 was made on a 4 in. main, and is typical of the water-supply found in many residential suburbs. It will be seen that with the pump two good streams —sufficient to deal with practically any residence fire —were obtained, as compared with extremely poor streams direct from the main. Tests Nos. 2 and 3 were taken on 3 in. dead-end mains and represent extreme cases of poor watersupply. It will be seen that even under these conditions the pump greatly improved both the volume of water and the effective pressure. Test No. 4is quoted to show the improvement made by the pump when drawing water from large mains in the business area of a town where heavy-volume streams are occasionally required. Tests Nos. 5 and 6 were taken from the principal main in the business area of country towns, under similar conditions to those found in many districts. They show that without the pump it is not safe to take even two fin. streams, but with the pump two first-class jets can be obtained, adequate for dealing with all but very serious fires, and likely even in these cases to be effective for protecting adjoining buildings. Test No. 7 was taken from a hill main near the reservoir, and is interesting in that it shows that the pressure obtainable from the pump depends on the volume of water available and is not affected by a low static pressure on the system. At the present time the use of fire pumps is largely confined to the cities and larger towns, and the machines mostly used are heavy-duty truck chassis fitted with turbine pumps. The bodies are of the side-seating type having very limited accommodation for storage of gear, and the cost of the complete fire engine varies from £1,200 to £2,700 delivered, depending on horse-power and the equipment provided. Machines of this class are beyond the finances of the smaller local authorities, but there are now on the market a number of light, high-speed trucks fitted with motors of the car type which are eminently suitable for fire-brigade work, and which can be fitted with a suitable fire pump and a body designed for local conditions at a cost from £600 upwards. It is hoped that as the machines now in use require replacement the controlling authorities will instal combination pump units, which are serviceable in any situation and are essential for effective operation in most places.

4

Nozzle pressure recorded Static F1 (Pounds/sq.in.). Pressure Nozzle used. pound».) from | Ihrough Pump . g.p.m. g.p.m. 1. Ellerslie, Auckland .. .. 65 220 2 X §" 22 (123) 45 (184) 2. TeAroha .. .. .. 110 60 1 X £" 28 (30) 60 (47) 3. TeAroha .. .. .. 112 125 30 (87) 50 (112) 4. TeAroha .. .. .. 130 385 1 X lj" 35 (231) 80 (349) 5. Morrinsville .. .. 70 280 2 x f" 30 (150) 82 (248) 6. Te Awamutu .. .. 62 280 2 X |" 28 (146) 80 (244) 7. Hamilton .. .. .. 40 250 2 X f 20 (122) 55 (204)

H.—l2.

Fire-prevention. The results achieved by the fire-prevention week held at the end of 1931 amply demonstrated the value of a fire-prevention campaign in assisting to reduce the national fire loss. It is well known that publicity efforts of this character are not effective unless repeated at fairly regular intervals, and arrangements were therefore made to hold a fire-prevention week in April last. As on the previous occasion, the local authorities and Fire Boards were asked to assist, and publicity matter was prepared for general circulation. The undoubted success of the movement was due mainly to the enthusiasm with which the organization was taken up by the fire brigades throughout the country. In the city and most of the larger towns a small grant was made by the brigade controlling authority to cover the cost of signs, &c., and the demonstrations given by the brigades to arouse public interest were very creditable. Processions and special displays were held in the cities, and in even the smallest of the country towns the brigades arranged for special exhibitions of their work. Arrangements were made for members of the brigade to give lessons in the local schools, and the firemen also undertook the distribution of the publicity matter. Broadcast talks were given from the YA stations, and the press throughout New Zealand gave the question considerable prominence. The references noted included twenty editorials, sixty-nine news items regarding fire-brigade displays, eighteen illustrations, and seventy-two general news references and articles on fire hazards and fire-prevention. The country papers in particular dealt at considerable length with the more prominent fire hazards, and this publicity is particularly valuable, as it would get the information into many country homes which would not otherwise be reached by the campaign. Construction of Buildings. The Government has decided not to proceed with the proposed Building Construction Bill, which has been the subject of reference in the last two annual reports. This is regretted, as it was hoped that under this Bill it would be possible to arrange for standard building by-laws providing for the protection of buildings, particularly from fire-exposure hazards. A typical illustration of loss arising from the neglect of this precaution was a recent fire in a two-storey building of wooden construction in Wellington. In this case the fire broke out in a lavatory adjoining a small light area, on the opposite side of which was a reinforced concrete building of three storeys. The brigade received an early call and comparative little fire damage was done in the wooden building. The windows in the light area in the concrete building were of ordinary glass in wooden frames, the fire broke through immediately, and the fire damage was practically as extensive as that in the building in which the outbreak occurred. It is understood that in lieu of the proposed legislation it is proposed to issue a set of model building by-laws for use by local authorities, prepared with special reference to earthquake-resisting design. Although this is not at first apparent, the question of fire resistance in the construction of buildings has an important bearing on earthquake damage, since a properly constructed building will lessen the danger of block fires following earthquake. This danger exists generally in most New Zealand cities and towns at the present time, since very few of the buildings —even those constructed during recent years —are adequately protected against exposure fires. Very little attention appears, to have been paid by architects to the safeguarding of buildings against fire, and very few of the local authorities' by-laws contain provisions requiring these safeguards. In his first report to the Government after his appointment as Inspector of Fire Brigades, the late Captain T. T. Hugo referred to this question as follows : — " Faulty Building Construction.—This is a widely spread evil. Fires have taken place in our midst that should have been looked upon as valuable lessons, but very little good has resulted in that direction. A large block of buildings recently erected in one of our cities in place of those destroyed by fire is, as a conflagration risk, very little, if any, better than it was before owing to unprotected windows in narrow rights-of-way, vulnerable roofs, &c. A striking illustration of false economy in these respects was shown during the progress of the fire that took place on Lambton Quay in October, 1906. Had the side-windows and roof of the then newly erected Bank of New South Wales been protected —and this could have been done for a comparatively small increase in the cost of erection —this fine building would most undoubtedly not have been destroyed." It is regrettable that, despite the great improvement in methods and materials that are available to the modern builder, it should be necessary to call attention to this matter in practically the same terms twenty-six years later. Metropolitan Fire Districts. The operations of the Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board, which functioned for the first time during the year under review, amply demonstrated the advantages of unified control of a large urban area, both from the point of view of brigade efficiency and financial savings. During the year reports were prepared with respect to the formation of similar metropolitan fire districts in Christchurch and Dunedin in lieu of the present arrangement under which the Fire Board provides protection for the surrounding districts on payment of a retaining fee. The Christchurch authorities have declined to support the proposals in the meantime, but application has been received for the formation of a united district comprising the City of Dunedin and the Borough of Mosgiel, and negotiations are still being carried 011 for the inclusion of the Boroughs of St. Kilda and Green Island. Fire-brigade Control in Fire Districts. No further progress has been made with the suggestion contained in the last annual report that, in lieu of the present fifty-four Fire Boards, the fire service throughout the fire districts should be controlled by a New Zealand Board operating through the local authorities in the country towns. The matter was given some consideration at the last meeting of the Municipal Association, when a remit

5

H.—l2.

proposing a somewhat similar form of control was rejected by the Conference. Most of the opposition to the proposal appears to be based on the suggestion that the proposed Board would be a modified form of Government control, which incidentally is not intended, and it would appear that sufficient weight has not been given to the more efficient service that would be possible under a single controlling authority. Inspections. It was not found possible to make a complete inspection of all brigades during the year, but the majority were visited at least once. Close touch is kept with the activities of all brigades by means of newspaper cuttings containing the reports of matters affecting the local fire-protection service. Wherever necessary special inspections were made. The conditions found were generally satisfactory, and in one or two instances where defects had previously been pointed out a considerable improvement was noted. The usual reports were made on inspections of public buildings and institutions, and advice has been given to Fire Boards and local bodies with regard to equipment, fire station sites and buildings, water-supply installations, &c. A number of reports were also made to the Local Government Loans Board on loans proposed for fire prevention, and water supply and reticulation purposes. I have, &c., B. Girling-Butcher, Inspector of Fire Brigades.

Table I.—Miscellaneous Statistics for Fire Districts.

6

t A t , Insurances Insured Uninsured T^npr.MitIire Insurance Number mvolv- nn T,os« ' Pirn T,nss Jjixpenditure ...... Popula- Rateable Companies of ingLoss p rotier t v Buildings'i Buildings T °t al Fire | f "J. Ye ?f District. t P m capital Value. Premium Fire of »el and and 8 Loss ' I en^l | Income. Galls. ; Pro- in Fires . Contents, j Contents. j £ £ £ £ I £ £ £ Auckland Metro- 183,140 70,974,657 208,986 659 145 1,229,482 71,693 j 724 72,417 28,100 politan Balclutha .. 1,650 274,120 2,080 4 1 600 5 5 237 Birkenhead .. 3,440 900,912 4,400 14 .. .. .. .. 612 Cambridge .. 2,200 727,270 3,089 7 4 2,455 1,084 .. 1,084 49b Christchurch .. 92,150 29,268,512 104,983 266 90 332,683 40,864 8,600 49,464 12,000 Dannevirke .. 4,580 1,406,444 6,398 10 6 18,320 2,061 257 2,318 755 Dareaville .. 2,010 489,697 3,271 9 3 3,700 125 1 126 396 Dunedin 69,900 17,106,487 75,191 368 56 212,601 14,750 1,618 16,368 11,750 Eltham .. 2,020 534,868 2,221 3 2 1,150 900 .. 900 385 Feilding .. 4,520 1,409,893 5,675 9 2 2,750 660 112 772 825 Foxton .. 1,740 251,656 1,516 4 3 9,082 5,341 1,371 6,712 391 Gisborne .. 14,550 4,623,120 20,796 27 12 27,575 3,978 176 4,154 1,671 Grevmouth 6,400 1,127,999 7,107 11 10 18,750 4,002 655 4,657 841 Hamilton .. 15,750 5,120,021 17,960 68 13 5,607 386 800 1,186 2,730 Hastings 12,400 3,524,504 15,564 41 12 7,000 2,010 935 2,945 2,715 Hawera .. 4,760 1,331,921 7,658 21 5 14,470 234 3 237 1,127 Hikurangi .. 1,250 161,986 1,062 3 1 300 300 .. 300 122 Hokitika° .. 2,590 390,955 2,820 4 4 1,075 1,050 3,150 4,200 605 Invercargill .. 21,200 5,174,638 24,842 109 34 93,180 6,903 1,247 8,150 5,045 Kaiapoi .. 1,750 315,828 1,991 4 2 100 20 45 65 492 Kaitangata .. 1,350 102,335 1,060 2 1 - 3 3 128 Lawrence .. 650 56,850 705 1 1 180 9 9 75 Levin .. 2,800 759,576 3,398 14 5 1,390 1,081 .. 1,081 531 Masterton .. 8,830 2,509,839 12,044 30 6 9,750 1,856 111 1,967 2,861 Milton .. .. 1.600 227,693 1,936 2 .. .. .. •• 130 Mossiel .. .. 2,120 304,310 2,005 .. .. ■■ 105 Napier . 16,400 4,210,330 25,023 43 17 13,790 5,475 1,081 6,556 4,286 Nelson " .. 11,200 2,869.744 16,448 28 15 ,9,980 3,696 228 3,924 2,505 New Plymouth .. 16,550 5,004,996 17,728 47 16 19,585 2,944 15 2,959 1,858 Oamaru .. 7 680 1,540,468 8,311 17 10 10,622 1,678 692 2,370 924 Ohakune .. 1,400 109,110 1,121 8 2 500 225 1,000: 1,225 355 Opotiki .. 1,330 326,617 1,788 6 1 11,375 3,609 .. j 3,609 420 Otaki .. 1,660 305,888 1,854 3 1 1,300 50 50 366 Pahiatua .. 1,560 345,395 3,069 5 3 2,365 1,365 575 1,940 335 Palmerston North 21,950 7,429,131 29,654 103 17 13,925 1,290 141 1,431 4,281 Petone .. 11 190 3,117,446 13,333 26 6 101,000 535 150 685 1,781 Port Chalmers .. 2,570 306,321 1,936 6 3 870 606 180 786 265 Pukekohe .. 2,560 796,803 2,728 9 1.. .. 5 5 654 Rotorua .. 5,250 1,462,021 6,915 27 7 20,950 5,184 .. 5,184 1,009 Taihape .. 2; 450 504,802 3,395 5 1 400 7 .. 7 489 Taumarunui .. 2,550 630,170 2,545 13 3 647 71 40 111 502 Tauranga .. 3,190 847,995 4,149 7 2 1,650 340 .. o40 620 TeAroha .. 2,560 712,018 4,054 6 1 250 1 1 597 TeAwamutu .. 1,940 634,768 3,289 8 2 650 121 45 166 550 .. 17 450 5,216 077 16,960 39 8 10,650 714 40 754 2,581 WMhi .. 3,200 268,716 2,577 24 8 3,538 797 450 1,247 586 Waipukurau .. 2,030 504,634 2,541 11 3 3,825 180 .. 180 355 Wairoa .. 2 420 675,606 3,540 6 5 6,865 3,946 .. 3,946 677 Waitara .. 1,920 321,234 2,996 1 1 600 180 .. 180 234 Wanganui .. 24,850 5,968,006 31,430 134 23 17,135 883 346 1,229 6,563 Wellington . 114,100 52,619,290 173,907 748 123 828,393 23,662 1,918 25,580 29,424 Westport .. 4 070 511,810 4,386 6 2 900 15 20 35 700 wlarei .. 7 880 2,331,663 8,211 13 3 4,225 725 .. 725 898 Woodvillc .. 1,130 167,389 1,347 3 3 1,060 355 495 8E» 340 758^390"" 933,993 3,042 705 3,079,250 217,966 27,229 245,195 139,280

H.—l2.

Table IIa.—Average Statistics for all Fire Districts which have been in Operation for the Eleven Years 1924-34.

7

„ , T Insurance Fires P er i Highest Fire Hxnendi District i Population. : Municipal Rates per Insurance Premiums dumber of 1,000 of Loss in any wire Toss Fire Loss Loss per Fire Brigade h,®™"' restrict , -ropu. won. Rates _ Hea(J Premiums. ™imums Fires. Popula- I Individual Fire Loss ' per Head. Fire. Expenditure. h®,! District I 1 * | tion. Year. £ £ s. d. £ £ s. d. £ £ £ s. d. £ £ s. d. Auckland* .. 97,927 497,356 5 1 7 158,836 1 12 7 188 1-92 ]14,709 65,002 0 13 6 345 20,065 4 1 Auckland.* Balclutha .. .. 1,567 j 3,740 2 7 9 2,066 1 6 4 2 1-51 7,090 1,049 0 13 5 444 362 4 8 Balclutha. Christchurch .. 87,279 1 232,837 2 13 4 115,788 1 6 6 141 1-61 96,575 50.727 0 11 8 360 12,350 2 10 Christchurch. Dannevirke .. 4,389 j 11,198 2 11 0 7,937 1 16 2 6 1-47 8,680 1,114 0 5 0 173 701 3 2 Dannevirke. Dargaville.. .. 2,041 12,627 6 3 9 3,692 1 16 2 5 2-63 4.125 2,553 1 14 10 663 558 5 6 Dargaville. Dunedin .. .. 68,181 j 189,107 2 15 6 81,371 1 3 11 116 1-70 59,793 30,181 0 8 11 260 14,252 4 2 Dunedin. Feilding .. .. 4,414 16,230 3 13 7 6,946 1 11 6 6 1-46 5,044 2,088 0 9 6 324 715 3 3 Feilding. Foxton .. .. 1,751 4,550. 2 12 0 J ,945 1 2 3 4 2-23 6,830 2,810 1 12 2 718 471 5 5 Foxton. Gisborne .. .. 13,818 61,785 4 9 5 23,903 1 14 7 23 1-66 24,240 12.338 0 19 11 539 2,462 3 7 Gisborne. Greymouth .. 5,886 16,027 2 14 6 7,500 1 5 6 10 1-63 32,174 10.408 1 15 4 1,085 1,014 3 5 Grex-mouth. Hamilton .. .. 14,860 58,533 3 18 10 21,967 1 9 7 21 1-43 25,746 4,763 0 6 5 225 2,710 3 8 Hamilton. Hastings .. .. 11,123 35,805 3 4 5 16,277 1 9 3 19 1-73 24,504 8,762 0 15 8 455 1,633 2 11 Hastings. Hawera .. .. 4,665 15,374 3 5 11 7,986 1 14 3 9 1-85 11,876 2,454 0 10 6 284 1,169 5 0 Hawera. Hokitika .. .. 2,480 3,748 1 10 3 2,939 1 3 9 6 2-35 8,591 2,975 1 4 0 511 575 4 8 Hokitika. Invereargill .. 19,142 71,034 3 14 3 23,984 1 5 1 38 1-96 47,221 14,228 0 14 11 379 5,407 5 8 Invercargill. Kaiapoi .. .. 1,726 2,134 1 4 9 2,513 1 9 1 4 2-56 25,984 4,419 2 11 2 993 695 8 1 Kaiapoi. Kaitangata .. 1,495 1,686 1 2 7 1,100 0 14 8 2 1-28 4.343 969 0 13 0 407 167 2 3 Kaitangata. Lawrence .. .. 663 1,266 1 18 2 741 1 2 4 2 2-47 3,770 536 0 16 2 327 91 2 9 Lawrence. L evm .. .. | 2,563 6,029 2 7 0 3,879 1 10 1 5 2-13 9,745 I 2,275 0 17 9 417 651 5 1 Levin. Masterton.. .. i 8,506 27,461 3 4 7 13,180 1 10 0 14 1-64 18,539 6,937 0 16 4 499 1,928 4 7 Masterton. Milton .. .. I 1,527 4,005 2 12 6 2,222 1 9 1 1 0-95 1,000 192 0 2 6 132 189 2 6 Milton. Napier .. .. 15.890 56,561 3 11 2 27,944f 1 15 2 22} 1-41 24,692 10,8521 0 13 9 484 3,935 j 4 11 Napier. New Plymouth .. ! 15,083 53,868 3 11 5 19,114 1 5 4 18 1-18 9,593 5,527 0 6 11 312 2.034 2 9 New Plymouth. Oamaru .. .. 7,409 25,980 3 10 2 8,174 1 2 1 7 0-99 23,878 5,288 0 14 4 718 1,100 3 0 Oamaru. Ohakune .. .. 1,495 2,478 1 13 2 1,442 0 19 4 5 3-65 11,825 3,822 2 12 6 701 444 5 11 Ohakune. Palmerston North .. 19,706 70,511 3 11 7 31,056 1 11 6 38 1-93 31,637 14,927 0 15 2 j 392 3,858 3 11 Palmerston North. Petone .. .. 10,217 24,934 2 8 10 13,703 1 6 10 10 0-98 5,070 1,884 0 3 8 188 1,619 3 2 Petone. Port Chalmers .. 2,580 4,319 1 13 4 2,270 0 17 7 3 1-27 2,135 879' 0 6 3 267 240 111 Port Chalmers. Rotorua .. .. 4,902 8,655 1 15 4 7,084 1 8 11 10 2-02 7,416 3,116 0 12 9 314 1,087 4 6 Rotorua. Taumarunui .. 2,450 7,967 3 5 0 3,384 1 7 7 7 2-75 7,942 1,884 0 15 5 280 537 4 5 Taumarunui. Tauranga .. .. 2,775 8,039 2 18 0 4,273§ 1 10 10 5 1-64 5,074 2,094 0 15 3 460 659 4 9 Tauranga. TeAroha .. .. 2,423 6,216 2 11 4 3.833 1 11 5 4 1-84 4,426 2,010 0 16 7 452 645 5 4 Te Aroha. Timaru .. .. 16,278 53,468 3 5 8 18,023 1 2 2 18 1-08 19,457 5,753 0 7 1 328 2,503 3 1 Timaru. Walhl •• •• 3,392 4,680 1 7 7 2,856 0 16 10 11 3-19 5,909 3,146 0 18 7 291 694 4 1 Waihi. Waitara .. .. 1,801 4,227 2 6 11 2,569 1 8 6 2 1 11 5,044 1,916 , 1 1 3 958 228 2 6 Waitara. Wanganui .. .. 24,465 96,682 3 19 0 36,384 1 9 9 40 1-65 14,074 8,904 0 7 3 220 I 7,168 5 11 Wanganui. Whangarei.. .. 6,858 25,116 3 13 3 7,932 1 3 2 9 1-27 36,569 6,942 1 0 3 795 ! 1,063 3 1 Whangarei. All districts .. 493,727 1,726,233 3 9 11 696,813 1 8 3 831 1-69 .. 305,724 0 12 5 367 95,979 3 11 All districts. Ten years' average, 1,468,653 5,332,333 3 12 6 1,913,326 1 6 1 4,627 3-15 1,636,119 1,154,863 0 15 9 .. .. .. Ten years' average whole Dominion 1 ! I J whole Dominion. * Ten-year average. t Seven-year average. t Ten-year average. § Bight-year average.

H.—l2.

Table IIb.—Average Statistics for other Fire Districts.

Table III.— Areas protected by Fire Boards.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (1,420 copies), £13 10s.

By Authority: G. H. Loney, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 934.

Price 6d.]

8

I ' I I I ] I ] 4w?^w f Population I Municipal Kates Insurance | p™f™ e a Number Losalnimy ji re Loss Hre Loss ; Loss 6 tareper District District. Average. Populatlon ' ! Rates. per Head. Premiums. j of Fires. Popula- Individual Fire Loss. per Head. per Fire. jure Head! District. £ £ s. d. £ £ s. d. £ £ £ s. d. £ £ s. d. Auckland Metropolitan 1 183,140 879,489 4 16 0 208,986 1 2 10 145 0-79 72,417 72,417 0 7 11 499 30,400 3 4 Auckland Metropolitan. Birkenhead .. 2 3,430 12,926 3 14 10 4,404 1 5 8 1 0-29 802 401 0 2 4 401 492 2 11 Birkenhead. Cambridge .. 3 2,173 7.950 3 13 5 3,309 1 10 6 4 1-68 1,084 725 0 6 8 198 496 4 7 Cambridge. Eltham .. .. 10 2,044 6,539 3 4 0 2,743 1 4 2 3 1-66 2,672 1,021 0 10 0 297 466 <4 7 Eltham. Hikurangi.. .. 6 1,238 2,103 1 14 0 1,217 0 19 8 1 1-21 1,000 364 0 5 11 242 230 3 9 Hikurangi. Mosgiel .. .. 1 2,120 5,465 2 11 7 2,005 0 18 11 .. .. .. .. •• .. 105 1 0 Mosgiel. Nelson .. .. 1 11,200 35,949 3 4 2 16,448 1 11 7 15 1-34 3,924 3,924 0 7 0 262 2,505 4 6 Nelson. Opotiki .. .. 5 1,304 4,132 3 3 5 2,125 1 12 7 3 2-61 3,609 1,121 0 17 2 329 586 9 0 Opotiki. Otaki .. .. 9 1,608 4,660 2 18 0 1,982* 1 4 8 3 1-87 2,855 1,040 0 12 11 347 340 4 3 Otaki. Pahiatua .. .. 8 1.518 4,130 2 14 5 3,301 2 3 6 3 1-89 11,775 3,092 2 0 9 1,077 385 5 1 Pahiatua. Pukekohe .. .. 8 2,505 12,855 5 2 8 3,317 1 6 6 3 1-10 5,680 937 0 7 6 343 647 5 2 Pukekohe. Taihape .. .. 4 2,462 9,552 3 17 7 3,923 1 11 11 2 0-91 856 306 0 2 6 136 532 4 4 Taihape. TeAwamutu .. 7 1,820 9,737 5 7 0- 3,406 1 17 5 2 1-33 4,510 1,096 0 12 0 432 477 5 3 Te Awamutu. Waipukurau .. 8 1.946 5,850 3 0 1 3,228 1 13 2 4 2-31 7,167 2,090 1 1 6 465 326 3 4 Waipukurau. Wairoa . 8 2,466 9,799 3 19 6 4,251 1 14 6 5 2-23 140,742 20,834 8 8 11 3,788 519 4 2 Wairoa. Wellington .. 8 108,775 453,851 4 2 9 193,610 1 15 7 195 1-79 294,070 103,744 0 18 11 536 27,325 5 0 Wellington. Westport .. 10 3.935 9,123 2 6 4 4,266 1 1 8 5 1-37 | 11.989 2,766 0 14 1 518 638 3 3 Westport. Woodville .. .. 3 1,123 2,567 2 5 9 1,482 1 6 5 4 3-26 | 2,105 988 0 17 7 270 399 7 1 Woodville. * Four-year average.

Wnmlier Tfiroa in Insured Fire Uninsured District. Population. Ca^^i e . ! ™ volvmgLo B To^£ n j Protected by Remarks. tans. oi Property. Con t e nts. Contents. ! I I ; | £ £ £ £ Belfast (works only) .. .. .. 2 2 25,410 .. 25,410 Christchurch Fire Board .. .. Payment for attendances. Feilding (works only) .. .. •. • • .. .. • • • • Feilding Fire Board .. .. Payment for attendances. Green Island .. .. 2,450 384,700 i 21 7 9,953 9 9,962 Dunedin Fire Board .. .. Borough pays £750 p.a. to Fire Board. Hawera .. .. .. 600* 210,000* I 1 .. .. .. .. Hawera Fire Board .. .. County pays £75 p.a. to Fire Board. Mangere .. .. 750* 522,000 i 1 1 247 150 397 Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board .. County pays £75 p.a. plus £5 for every call in excess of ten. New Lynn .. .. 3,300 648,406 1 .. .. .. .. Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board .. Borough pays £100 p.a. plus £5 for every call in excess of ten. Cashmere .. .. \ ' | f Christchurch Fire Board .. .. County pays £300 p.a. to Fire Board. Fendalton .. .. )>11,150 j 3,795,757 34 16 2,877 507 3,384<J Christchurch Fire Board .. .. County pays £450 p.a. to Fire Board. Riccarton • • • • J I ! I Christchurch Fire Board .. .. Borough pays £450 p.a. to Fire Board. St. Kilda .. .. 8,370 1,774,021 15 1 5 j 5 Dunedin Fire Board .. .. Borough pays £550 p.a. to Fire Board. West Harbour (works only) ! .. .. .. .. .. .. Dunedin Fire Board .. .. Payment for attendances. 26,620 I 7,334,884 | 75 27 38,492 666 39,158 j ' i j * Estimated.