FIRE BRIGADES BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 249, 18 October 1907, Page 5

FIRE BRIGADES BILL.

STATEMENT BY DR FINDLAY. .(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) I . WELLINGTON, this day. The Fire Brigades Bill was exhaustively discussed by a deputatipn which, waited upon the . Attorney-General to-day. In his reply, Dr. Findlay made some important' statements with regard to the future operation or, otherwise of the Act. The deputation was organised by tbf Wellington City Council, and included representatives of other centres. .". Mr. Hislop, the Mayor of Wellington, pointed out that the Municipal Conference condemned the establishment of Fire Boards as a retrograde step, involving, as it did, the further cutting up of the ,power 3of local government. , He scarcely <ioped the j Government would bring about a reversal of its policy ;of last session, but he did hope that Wellington would be left out of the operation of the Act, as far as tbe present bill was concerned. It was considered that the power conferred on- Fire Boards to borrow, should be under the control of ■the Minister and the municipality. With .regard to exchange of properties, the Wellington Council thought that all such •transactions should be' subject to. the consent of the local The Mayor of . Dunedin • (Mr. " Kidd), Mr:; Baunie (Auckland), Mr. Wood (Palmerston),;and Mr. Gray (Christchurch) also spoke. . • ', ',

■ In his reply, Dr. Findlay said the sole ..the-,Government in-introdufe. ing the "bill was to have increased- efli-' ciency-of brigades. If the measure-did: not serve that purpose, then it should go. He was sure,the Government was still prepared to consider whether some--scheme .should not be adopted; making the operation of the bill optional, or, on •the other hand, repeal it altogether. He would attempt 1 to put in the bill, with the sanction of his colleagues, a clause, providing that where a city council pass- • ed a.resolution asking to be relieved of the. operation of the Act, the statute shovld be inoperative so far as that particular municipality' was concerned. The deputation seemed to'forget that the scheme of the bill was to put only. a portion of the cost of fire preventijiir on' the municipalities. Under the bill they would .have to pay less than half. He was prepared to suggest to his coir leagues, that some such system as .'that, contained in the Advances to SettlersAct with regard" to" a sinking fund shouldbe embodied, in the bill. . In: the matter of Government representation on Boards, he said, "We will withdraw our representation. The only desires to have an impartial man sitting on the Board.". : ■-.: •'