THE FIRE BOARD MUDDLE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12966, 20 November 1907, Page 6

THE FIRE BOARD MUDDLE.

• The position of the Fire Board seems - to become month by month more vexa--3 t'ous and humiliating. The fate of - tho*new Bill, which was to make good I all tho defects of the unworkablo Act - of last year, still hangs in th© bali anco, and if it passes at all will apparently bo rushed through Parliament % in th© dying hours of tho session, with 3 all its original and possibly some t added imperfections. Tho Board itii self sits unded the sword of Damocles, - for the City Council, moved theroto t by a member who is also a member of > tho Board, has decided to ask for ex- > emption from th© provisions of tho l Act, and its further tenure of life ? may therefor© be of th© briefest. Disr solution, w© can imagine, would almost r come as a relief, for the members have j had to contend with a sea of difficul--9 ties from th© very outset. Now they t are faced with th© refusal oi three- > fourths of th© insurance companies to 3 pay their shares of their joint contrir bution until the Government's contrij bution has been jj»id. It is bad enough _ that the Government shouid limit its 3 payment to a mere fraction of what it . ought to contribute, but its reason for , withholding evens that paltry sum and 9 thus embarrassing th© Board is ebso- . lutely inexplicable. When written to _ on tlie subject it takes refuge in s silence, and lets difficulties thicken , ( round th© heads of tli© Board, exhibito ing throughout a nonchalance that ib t ra'nkly discourteous. W© do not pro o fess to know what is in the mindb of ii tho members of the Board, but no on© - would blame them if, under the cirs cumatances, they resigned from a posit tion in which their efforts on behalf - of tho community meet with such diisi couragement. Tho conduct of the Gcs vernmont throughout has been inept Ii to tho last degree. Though all th© ii troublo iis of .its own making, it will • do nothing and explain nothing. Tho ii whole unfortunate business is the 'i- strongest proof of th© evils arising - from hasty and rll-considered legdsla- - tion, intensified by official stupidity, 8 that the Dominion has seem.