FIRES AND FIRE BRIGADES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 51, 1 March 1901, Page 3

FIRES AND FIRE BRIGADES.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—With many others, I fully endorse your condemnation of the method;; pursued by our local authorities regarding the shocking condition of our fire brigade system. I have been witness of several childish displays of lire fighting: in this city, notably the late fire at L. D. Nathan's bonded store. I can only say that it was simply maddening to see the product of such a lot of human labour unnecessarily lost as a result of the supine parsimony of the local Council. Now, Mr Editor, as criticism often exasperates, I think 1 will cease further comment on the subject and proceed to show a way of doing1 better. To start with, the lire brigades must be taken from under the control of the local Councils, both city and suburban, and; placed under a properly constituted board similar to those of Sydney and Melbourne. The board should consist of, say, three members, one each appointed by the city and suburban Councils and the local insurance companies. It sTiould have a permanent secretary and treasurer, with a superintendent over the whole of the brigade; I say brigade, for, although there should be several stations, there should be only one brigade. Should there still be volunteer brigades they must, in the event of a fire, submit to the permanent superintendent, or his lieutenant, present at* tho lire. Thero must be no divided authority. The Salvage Corps must be an integral part of the brigade, and immediately under the authority of the superintendent or his lieutenant. The brigade should consist of a body of permanent trained men, living on, or within easy call by electdic call bell, the stations. Proper electric fire alarms should bo placed on accessible telegraph poles and various other places, and at any warehouse or private house willing to pay for such protection, all in good electrical communication with the nearest fire station, no matter where, for in the new system there would be no boundary; the nearest station men must act, all fire stations being in direct telephonic communication, with each other and the head station. Who will pay for this? may be asked. Well* I* answer, directly, that the fire insurance companies must pay the major portion of it, as they have to do elsewhere, and as they have a proper right to do, for it is neither just nor right that citizens, who are now paying heavy premiums for fire insurance, should be again taxed to pay a fire brigade to protect property for the sake of the insurance companies, most of which are now paying large dividends—witness two of our local companies bagging over £120,000 last year between them. Then there should be a moderate fire rate levied on all property within the city and suburbs, and wherever a direct benefit would be likely to accrue by the action of such. With your permission, Mr Editor. I will make further suggestions in a future issue.—l am, etc., THOS. B. DINEEN.