THE FIRE BRIGADE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 4297, 28 February 1884, Page 4

THE FIRE BRIGADE.

(From the " Otauo Daily Times.")

Sib,—lt has been made abundantly public that tho Associated Fire Insurance Companies have decided to withdraw tho subsidy they have boon paying to the Corporation towards the cost of maintaining tho Dunedin Fire Brigade Tho city councillors have expressed themselves freely with regard to this step, and the three daily papers have all had a say on the matter. With one consent Council and Tress unite in characterising the decision of tho Fire Association as mean, despicable, and contemptible. Under these circumstances, and on tho ground that this is a public question, I /eel euro that you will willingly give mo space for reply. That tho Firo Association has acted unwisely is evident. No better proof of that could be found than the comments referred to. But the folly of which the Association has been guilty is that of having continued this subsidy so long, or of over having given it at all. The fire interest has weekly paid an annual donation to a public body, and continued to pay it so long itS to allow an opinion to grow up_ that they ought to pay it, and to lead many in the community to suppose that the public have something like a vested interest in the subBidy—that it in a right and proper thing to have access to other people's pookets, and a wrong thing for tho owners of these pockets to say this must cease. In all this it is undoubtedly true that tho firo companies havo erred—so far erred that instead of getting any thanks for the gifts of past years, these gifts arc now stigmatised as paltry, and a wealthy Corporation exhibits itself in attitude of indignation over tho withdrawal of what it professes to despiso, J need not refer in detail, however, to the remarks of councillors, nor to the several articles hurled at tho Association. It is evident that all of them havo arisen from a misapprehension of the whole case, and it is remarkable that whilst all of them freely condemn the withdrawal, nono of themgivo uny sound reason for doing so ; and moreover, none of them havo answered the reasons on which tho Association based the withdrawal of tho subsidy, or showed these reasons to be wrong. It is asserted that they are untenable, and that it is impossible to understand on what principle they are strung together. But it happens I havo before me an article of the "London Review," August 3, 1881, which discusses this very question, and which adopts these reasons in detail with these remarks : "We could dilate at tome considorabe length on the various social and commercial aspects of the question, but we havo received an admirably constructed document, which we present to our readers herewith. We consider that this able prtcis of the arguments relative to tho question practically exhausts tho subject, and we commend them to the attention of our readers."

When it is broadly asserted that the firo companies have withdrawn a modicum of support from a praiseworthy body of volunteers deserving every encouragement, and that it must discourage one of our most useful institutions for the protection of life and property, it is evident that the whole relations of the insurance companies, both to the Corporation and tho Brigade, ara wholly misunderstood, and that opinions based on such a misconception are iimply of no weight whatever.

Let mo point out, thon, that the companies have no quarrel with the Brigade at all. They consider the voluntary services of its membors most disinterested and praiseworthy, and it is a fact that they have in no senso withdrawn from the Brigade a support which they never gave to it, nor could give to it bo long as it remained a volunteer brigade acting without remuneration. The subsidy, on the contrary, has boon paid to tlio Corporation only. Not one penny of it ever passed to a single momber of tho Brigade. The whole of the money was simply absorbed into the Corporation exchequer. The mombers of the Brigade have always maintained their position as volunteers, and do so still. On the other hand, it is well that it should be known that tho Corporation has hitherto held this position; that it has on the one side leant on tho voluntary contributions of the insurance companies, and on the other deponded on tho disinterested services of a small but energetic body of citizens, who do the work for the love of it. How long voluntary service may be available for this purpose it is of course impossible to my, but no ono can deny the right of any of its members, or of tho whole body, to discontinue this work at any tiino. The right of the insuranco companies to take a similar step is quite as unimpeachable One thing is certain : that sooner or later the Corporation—that is, the citizens—will have to face the question, and the cost of a paid brigado thoroughly equipped both for extinguishing fires and saving property from destruction either by fire or water. It is iinprobablo that volunteers will always be available to undertake the work the Brigade does at so much trouble and inconvenience, and often personal loss,

As to tho question of fire companies contributing to tho maintenance of brigades, lot us see how it applios, If it is sound in one instance it ia sound in all, There are a number of life insurance companies doing business here. Has it ever ooourred to the boldest politician in our midst to ask for or expect from these a contribution towards the cost of any of the sanitary works undertaken by the Corporation ? Yet these are spocially undertaken to promote the health and longevity of the citizens, in which the insurance companios have a deep interest. How about the insurod lives saved by a proper system of drainage ? Will the life companies contribute to the cost of the proposed sal twater baths ? Or has any of our city members thought of demanding that the Government should undertake the cost of deodorising the city sewage, on th» ground that it has a large amount at stake in life policias within the city bounds ? There are marine insurance companies, too. Why are they not asked to help to pay the Interest on the Harbour Board loan or to remove tho bar ? Surely harbour improvomonto on the coast are of great Importance to them. And yet there are Harbour Boards everywhere at work widening, deepening, straightening, without leaning on insurance companies, and our coasts are lit by Government on public grounds without taxing any commercial interest. Granted that the lives of seamen have something to do with the lighting, is there no property under the charge of these livos, and are not the marine companies deeply Interested in that property ? On what ground is it that fire insurance companies only are doomed by public opinion to special taxation! Why is it that fire companies are expeoted to provide, or help to provide, the appliances necessary to lender life and property safe from fire, and then to aocept reduced premiums bocauso of the safety they thus provided! May they not as well bo called upon to lay water-mains in the streets, or pay the interest on tho water loan, on tho ground that wator is used in extinguishing fires? or may they not bo expected to maintain a polico force to detect indendiaries and pay lor tho prosecution of them when caught? It is inconceivable that such ideas should be abroad in tho nineteenth century. The truth is, all tlieso and many more are duties belonging solely to tho governing body for tho public good, and not to any individual or commercial association of individuals ; but there exists an unhealthy public opinion about the duties and reaponj sibilities of lire companies, and for that thoy aro themselves to blame. Thoy have weakly submitted to bo mulcted in an annual impost in the past. They havo too often paid for losses on too liberal a scale, and in many ways been too easy in paying over their funds, till at last they are regarded as fair game for everyone to havo a snot at, and just the sort of people to pay any and every demand which may be mado upon them. It is wholly overlooked in the whole question at issue that all such outlay, whilst it may do vory well for an advertisement, is practically moru a matter in which tho polioy-holder and taxpayer are interested than the shareholder.

The City Council has led tho way in giving expression to this unhealthy public opinion. In its discussion on the report of the Fire Bri gade Committee it appears to have wholly overlooked its own responsibilities—wholly ignored the fact that one of its functions is undoubtedly the duo protection of citizens' life and property, and that the citizens' funds aro in its hands for no other purpose than for expenditure in citizens' interests. To be in a fair position from which to mako the remarks levelled at the Association, let any individual or corporate body undertake fov a time to make voluntary contributions towards the cost of any work carried on for the public weal. Let them put their hands into their own pockets and maintain a part of the City Clasworks, for instance, and then let them speak. But let them remember that if they should ever ccaso from such generosity, they will be scouted on all hands. Bo far as I am aware, instances of thia class of generosity aro very invisible, except from Fire In. suranco Companies—but they are mean, despicable, and contemptible.—lam, &0., William Brown, Chairman Otago Five Insurance Association, Punedin, February 19,