TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13427, 20 May 1909, Page 8

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

C.A.W.—It i<4 already a public company. Further inionnntion may ie obtained from Dr. Ncelt v. ( i'.rU'.ehi'.rch.

CHRISTCHURCH FIRE BOAItD TO THE EDITOR OF "THE I'ItESS."

Sir.—ln reference to Air Devenish-Mi-ares's criticism of my remarks at the election ot the new tire board, he i> correct in his surmise that I was not correctly reported ; that i> to say, 1 was not iully reported, and, consequently, tho report convoys an impression not intended. "When speaking. I pointed our that one oi the Council's representatives on the old Board was away troin the Dominion, and unlikej.y to return for a long iiiiu-, and that in tlie meantime the BoaVd had important questions under consideration, a« the question of providing a larger Central brigade station, wnich might result in mc Sydenham and St. Albans -tutiuns boing closed, as that policy hail already liven mooted in the board. I pointed out that in the event of a division ot opinion between the insurance companies on Mich important questions and tho Council's representatives, the balance oi voting po\v<.-r would be controlled by the Government representative whose ear the Council's representative had often been tortunate enough in the past to obtain. This was. perhaps, not the happiest way ot e.\pre>-ing what I intended to convey, bin the best that occurred to mc when speaking. lat once concede that, generally, all the members of the Board have worked harmoniously together for Lie public welfare, but as last constituted, the majority of the insurance companies' representatives wero undoubtedly in favour of concentrating the brigades in a central station. That policy I strong dissented from, and when it v.as first mooted was fortunate enough to obtain the sympathy ot the (Government representative. Even now a proposal has been made to the Board to remove the chemical engine from Sydenham and replace it by a horse ho-e-cr.rt, and the question is only held over for the new Board to con: ider. These were, some of the reasons which led mc to make the remarks which Mr Dovenish-Meares takes exception to. and I trust that he will m>o that the reason given, which was not reported, does away with the implication he resents.—Yours, etc..

CHAS. ALLISON