H..-6A

23

During the year just ended five fires have occurred in the district, as against nine for the previous year, a decrease of four. The fire loss amounted to £784, compared with £779, a decrease of £15. The estimated cost of the brigade for 1912-13 is £360, as against £500 for 1911-12, a decrease of £140.

PALMERSTON NORTH. Two inspections of the Palmerston North Fire Brigade, its stations and equipment, have been held —viz., 15th December, 1911, and 14th May, 1912. At the first inspection there were present the Superintendent, Deputy, and seventeen firemen; these, with three on duty and one on leave, accounted for twenty-three out of a total strength of twenty-five then on the roll—a satisfactory attendance. The turnout of the brigade and its appliances was accoiirplished in good time; the various drills, wet and dry, were carried out smartly and in an efficient manner. The following report, forwarded to the secretary of the Board, covers the second inspection : — " Sir,— "20th May, 1912. "An inspection of the Palmerston North Fire Brigade, its stations and equipment, was made on Tuesday, the 14th instant. " At the inspection muster there were present the Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, and seventeen firemen; these, with three on duty and two on leave, accounted for out of a total strength of twenty-seven. The stations and appliances are maintained in good order and condition. "A test of the pressure in the water-mains was made, and 1161b. was registered from the 4 in. main in Cuba Street, 3 lb. more than the pressure registered on the Central Station gauge. "For experimental purposes three different deliveries with two 1 in. nozzles and one Jin. nozzle were got to work from the same 4 in. main, when there still remained a working pressure of 57 lb. This comparatively small drop in the pressure is due to the excellent method of reticulation as carried out in general in Palmerston North. " The branches and nozzles are in a bad condition, and three new branches are required, also two 1 in., two Jin., and two fin. nozzles. " I have, &c, " Thos. T. Hugo, " Inspector of Fire Brigades." During the course of the year improvements have been made to the headworks of the borough gravitation water-supply; and whereas in my annual report for 1910-11 I found it necessary to call attention to there being only an average pressure of 70 lb. in the street mains, there is now a registered pressure of 801b. at noon and 1101b. at midnight —a very satisfactory improvement. The Board has ordered from England a 60 h.p. combined hose, ladder, and pump motor-car; the ladder capable of being extended to a height of 60 ft., and the pump of the positive rotary type, having a dischargeng-capa.city of 300 to 400 gallons per minute. The brigade attended twenty-six calls, that included nineteen actual fires, during the year just ended, as against forty-eight calls, including thirty-three fires, during the previous year, a decrease of fourteen fires. The fire loss amounted to £3,877, as against £9,765, a decrease of £5,888. .The estimated cost of the brigade for the year 1912-13 is £1,724 Is. 4d., compared with £1,699 14s. for 1911-12, an increase of £124 7s. 4d.

PETONE. Three inspections of the Petone Fire Brigade and its equipment have been held —viz., 15th December, 1911, 26th January and 21st June, 1912. At the first inspection there were present the Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent, and eleven firemen; these, with one on leave and two on sick-leave, accounted for the full strength of the brigade. Various drills, wet and dry, were carried out, and though the majority was performed in an efficient manner, more instruction and practice is required in certain of the drills, as was pointed out at the time. At the second inspection a series of tests of the water-pressure and experiments with different lengths of hose and various sized nozzles were carried out. The following report, forwarded to the secretary of the Board, covers the third inspection : — <> Sir,— " 25th June, 1912. " I have the honour to inform you that an inspection of the Petone Fire Brigade and its equipment was made on the 21st instant, when there were present the Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent. nine firemen, and two messengers, or thirteen out of a total strength of eighteen on the roll; the remaining five were absent at work. " The fire-alarm installation was tested and found to be in good working-order. "A test of the water-pressure was made, and a pressure of 691b. was registered in the 4 in. main in Sydney Street, with a similar pressure in the 8 in. main in Jackson Street. This, I