H.-6A

1919. NEW ZEALAND.

FIRE BRIGADES OF THE DOMINION (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th JUNE, 1919, BY THE INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES.

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

The Inspector of Fire Brigades to the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs. Sir,— Office of Inspector of Fire Brigades, Wellington, 27th September, .1919. Herewith I have the honour to lay before you my eleventh annual report, for the year ending 30th June, 1919, relative to the working of the Fire Brigades Act, and including matters in connection therewith. During the year five new lire districts have been constituted —viz., Port Chalmers (2nd July, 1918), Wanganui (24th September, 1918), Ohakune (4th February, 1919), Waitara (18th February, 1919), and Levin (25th March, 1919). Following is a list of the thirty-one fire districts now constituted :— Auckland Greymouth Milton Tauranga Balclutha Hamilton New Plymouth Timaru Christchurch Hastings Oamaru Waihi Dannevirke Hawera Ohakune Waitara Dargaville Hokitika Palmerston North Wanganui Dunedin Lawrence Pctone Whangarei Feilding Levin Port Chalmers Woolston. Gisborne Masterton Rotorua I have officially inspected the brigades, with their stations and equipment, working under the control of Fire Boards, as follows : — Auckland -28th and 29th March, 1919. Milton—6th March, 1919. Balclutha—sth March, 1919. New Plymouth—loth October, 1918. Christchurch—7th and 9th May, 1919. Oamaru—6th May, 1919. Dannevirke—9th June, 1919. ' Palmerston North—loth June, 1919. Dargaville—lst April, 1919. Petone—3oth June, 1919. Dunedin—7th and I.2th March, 1919. Port Chalmers—loth March, 1919. Feilding—lsth April, 1919. Rotorua—loth December, 1918. Greymouth—7th February, 1919. Tauranga—2Bth May, 1918. Hamilton—26th May, 191.9. Timaru—l2th February, 1918. Hastings—l4th April, 1919. Waihi—29th May, 1919. Hokitika—loth February, 1919. Whangarei—2nd April, 191.9. Masterton--13th January, 1919. Woolston--Bth May, 1919. Also, special visits were paid as follows : — Devonport—27th March, 1919 : Inspection of the brigade and its equipment. Rotorua—26th and 27th May and 21st to 27th June, 1919 : Attendance at the Magisterial inquiry into the efficiency or otherwise of the brigade and its equipment, &c. Following upon an invitation received from the executive officers of the United Fire Brigades' Association I attended their annual conference held at Invercargill in March last, and delivered an address to the delegates entitled " Motors for Fire Brigade Service, Auto-detector Fire-alarms versus Night-watchmen, &c." At the request of the conference the address is being printed for circulation amongst the brigades.

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