SUBURBAN FIRES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 180, 29 July 1912, Page 2

SUBURBAN FIRES.

.YEED FOR BRIGADE MOTORS. THE CASE OF MT. EDEN". A GREATER AUCKLAND URGED. A pointed argument in favour of the Greater Auckland scheme is to 'be found in the remark? of the Mayor of Mt. Eden (Mr Oliver Nicholson!, when replying to tin- inquiries of a "Star" reporter this morning, concerning the need for more extensive fire-fighting facilities for Mt. L.I en. There had been a movement anion? members of the Borough Couiwil, Mr Nicholson said, in favour of establishing a brigade with a. fully-equipped motor, bat. in his opinion there were «T*n difficulties in tin- way just at present. In the first place, the Borough ■was carrying out an extensive streetma king scheme, and it would be folly to attempt to run a fire .brigade motor over pomp of the Toads in their current condition. .Secondly, the establishment of a sire station with a salaried staff, tjArcpa..-" : the volunteer 'brigade now Sfnig sen"ice. would be costly, involving the pettine up of a fire board if the necessary sanction "Brae eeeured per medium of a poll of the ratepayers. in fact, Mr Nich-olson said, it would be an expensive business, and in his opinion tii<> Council should complete the big works at present in hand, before commeacincr to carry out a greater fire-fight-mL , scheme. He admitted the limited possibilities of the volunteer system, but stated that the provision of motors, etc., for the suburbs as -well as the city would be i big financial undertaking for any of the suburbs. : 'The one sensible solution of the problem to my mind," added ITY -Vicho-lson. "is a Greater Auckland, ■which would enable the Central Brigade to rover the whole of the city find ewbnpban area, with the aid of efficient rotations in convenient localities." There are 2,000 houses in the Borough of Mt. Eden, and nine-tenths of them are wooden structures. A rather had rirr occurred in the Epsom-Mt. Albert Road on Saturday morning, by which ."•n i , i;:h'--roo,m< i d residence was rapidly destroyed with, little chance of being s.iT-ed by the Mt. Eden Brigade. The diitrict has not, however, suffered preatly in this connection during the past couple of years, according >to information supplied to a reporter by the* Clerk of the Mt. Eden Borough Council (Mr. S. Bray) this morning. During thr period stated one house in the i i-ini ty of th? Council Chambers was burr.: down twice. Another house was destroyed in iStormanby Road, while one other in Herbert Road was damaged by fire a couple of months ago. That is j a : l. and the record is by no means *;■■.- '•■>. It is generally recognised that i :■ ■ i , oh:nteer force the present brigade] ha* i!i:ip good work. There are twelve J pi" with a captain and a lieutenant, r-. !:n>rp are two stations—one on Mt. ! y..\- i f'.o.ad, and one on Dominion Road. , j ii , , - , latter are fitted with telephones,! as! .liarm bells have been erected at! <:.:■- ■- nt points. The area of the bor-j •"'.-■'■ i.= 1,400 acres, and at the present ■■.sin" the water l service extends only: (■:■■- ..no-thirds of the district. j ''!!.■ proposal for a tire brigade motor! fi ■ .':.<• district -was to have been, disn , •■.■■.! at a meeting 'of the Finance i iiiii':!iUee of the Council on Friday b.i: '■:, the pressure of business it was i' ' I "vrr. Two members of the Council vvh'i advocate the scheme are Messrs. ['■"•UcT and Jones, their contention being ;:■.-.: the time has arrived when the volunteer brigade should be improved upon. Other members, while recognising the importance of proper protection .against r!,T.ma™e by fire, claim that the Council }:-..• sufficient financial responsibility to fi:.sch..r;e for the present. The case has tern eked of a neighbouring borough i v.i:, h took a poll on the question of: . ■;M'L.-hing a. fire board. The ratepayers declared against the proposal.! bo the Borough Council as an alternative' •pro :n rod a horse for the purpose of j -liking the brigade outfit to tires. They | have since been faced with the difficulty of having the horse attended to and pxTcised' with" the result that the under- : taking i? proving more expensive than' ■was anticipated. Some .of the Mt. Eden: councillors fear that the creation of a ! fire board and the establishment of a mitor brigade Tsrould saddle the borough wiih more expense than the ratable: property -values warrant. j