FIRE PREVENTION.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15767, 7 December 1916, Page 9

FIRE PREVENTION.

. 4 . SPREYDON TO MAKE'OVERTURES TO RICCARTON. At the meeting of tho Sproydon Borough Council last night, tho Mayor (Mr W. H. Winsor) stated that lie had seen ,tho Mayor of Riccarton, who considered it was quito feasible for Riccarton and Sproydon to combine and form a. single Firo Board. Ho (Mr Winsor) had looked up the Act, and found that tho borough could havo a fire system of its own if it so wished, which would be as good as any offered them. Ho had gone into tho matter, and roughly speaking, he estimated tho cost at about £4500. made up as follows: —Fire station and plant £2400, furnishings £1400. wages and other expenses £700. This would ho with chemical engines, Tho recurrent expenditure would be about £600. Tho Government subsidy would be 10 per cent, up to £50, leaving £550 to bo borne by tho Spreydon Borough Council and the insurance companies, thus making the cost to Spreydon—the insurauco companies paying half under tho Act—£?7s. With Riccarton joining in, this cost would be materially reduced. This would be tho cost of a local system, as compared with tho £235 to l>o charged to tho borough under the Firo Board- system. They had to remember -that- under the Fire Board's scheme, they were burdened with interest and sinking fund and other expenses. If Riccarton and Hillmortencamc in. the cost would be proportionately reduced. The disadvantage of joining Riccarton was the . distance involved. They might he able to include some parts of Addington. now under the city, which were poorly served. He considered thati /joining 1 in with Riccarton would be far better than joining the city firo scheme. After discussion, it was decided that i the Special Fire Committee sot up to i consider the position interview tho , Riccarton Borough Council in the matter of a combined fire prevention • scheme