FIRE BRIGADES ACT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 16, 14 October 1907, Page 8

FIRE BRIGADES ACT.

i » J SEYERE CRITICISM. I STRAIGHT TALK BY AUCKLAND CITY , ' COUNCIL. \ ,..•-.,... Auckland, October 10. i The City Conncil at its last meeting received from tho Auckland Fire Board a debit • noto for ono quarter of tho Council's annual contribution to tho Board, amounting ' to £750. This, it was pointed out, was due '' on September 30 last. In making this levy ) tho secretary of the Board wrote stating ' that'the Government had not forwarded, as f l required by Section lla of the Act, their 1 Contribution towards tho up-keep of the* I 'Auckland firo brigade and appliances, nor I had tho exact amount of tho samo yet been 1 fegreed upon as between tho Colonial Secro- ! tary and tho Board. As it was necessary that the services of tie brigade should be continued, and as cash was required for this : [ purposo, tho Board had decided to ask the City Council and tho insurance companies to contribute one-oighth each of the whole amount of the estimates approved, viz , £600, 1 leaving tho amount payablo by the Government to be deducted from the next mstalS , ment duo As tho Board was already in tho ' ' iCouncil'B debt for the amount of disburse--1 incuts since July 1, the date upon which the Board assumed control, he would be glad " if She Conncil would supply him with a list of - ''the payments made, the total amount of ,*hich- would bo deducted from the £750 now ■Spphcd for from tho Council.' /Jin Anomaly. " The. Mayor commented upon the anomaly , W tho Board having to take tho steps outlined in this letter. But for the disastrpue jafredrnpon tho citizens he would be in favour >o£ not granting the request, bnt aa matters stood he thought thoy should pass the aceonnt for the quarter's contribution. Mr. i Parr asked whether tho fire brigade had been transferred. Bang infarmed thafc-it had not, he said that it was anost extraordinary. Tho Board vas conidncting operations, yet it had no assets. Jlhe position seemed so extraordinary as to 1o rattier like a comic opera. Tho sooner (the Firo Beard was pnt on a proper footing itho bettor. It was not right thai the Board Should, be levying this when they did not &now 'where they were 33 to the proporty. Mr. L. J. Bagnall said it was a question Schetner this demand of the Board's was &gal or not. Tho first thing to ascertain Jsras tbo proportion to be paid by tho Govsernincnt. Because of tho way Government business was carried out this could not be ascertained, and consequently a demand for a balance could not be legal. Again, tho insurance companies and the Council between them had got to pay £6000 a year, and they 'had three members each on the Board. The Government had one member, and wasgoing to pay the large sum of £100. It was absurd. No, greater muddle was ever put on tho etatuto Book of the country than the Fire Brigades Act, and none that reflected so jriuch on tho want of ■:■ method v and business febibty of tbo Government. Crude and Unbusinesslike. i Mr. R. Tudehopo said ,the Act was so crudo and unbusinesslike .that it was true the.' Fire Board did not kno# where it was as to the contribution of tho Government Under tho/ola Act it was £100, and under the ♦unendment £150, but what it would bo Xiobody knew. As long as the Council was flnlling to. go on financing tho Board it was Jill right, but the latter wanted to bo put on s business-like footing. The Conncil was not Lkely to lose anything by passing this acicount. ; ' Tho Mayor said tho position was a most tmfortnnato one for the municipalities to he placed in. He thought tho Council, however , , had been right in advancing money to tho Board up to the present. It was clearly tho Suty of the Council to protect tho general jrabhc The payment of Council was the 1 test way out of an unfortunate position, yhich no Government had any right to put Iβ municipal body into ■* The motion to pass the quarterly amount ' £ras carried. '