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Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 27, 26 October 1907, Page 6

FIRE BRIGADES' BILL. IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS. The Firo Brigades' Bill has been anicndcd by the .Joint Statutes Revision Committee in several important particulars so as to bring it into line with statements made by the .Hon. Dr. Findlay, Attorney-General, in reply to a deputation a few days ago. It will bo remembered that Dr. FiucTlay expressed his willingness to make the Bill permissive, in the chief cities, as well as in other places, leaving the power of choice in the hands of the City Councils.. It is now proposed to effect this by altering the wording of Clause 7, which, as it originally stood, provided that, tho Governor may. by;Ordcr-ni-Council, on tho application of a Fire Boar 1 and of the contributory local authority, declare that the firo district of that Board shall cease to be a fire district. The clause, as" amended by tho committee, dispenses with the necessity of-tho Fire Board joining in the . application, and provides that tho Governor "shall," on such application, .'declare'that the fire district,, f hall' ceaso to do a fire district on the date of. tho Ordor-in-G'ouncil.

A now sub-clause is as follows:—"In any such caso the contributory local authority shall repay to the insurance companies carrying on business in tho fire district at tho date of tho dissolution of the Board,: such amount as the Governor determnes to be just and equitable, : having regard , to the valuo of the property as becoming vested in the local authority, and to, tho contributions made ly such companies towards the 1 cost of tho requisition thereof by tho Board. Every sum so repayable by the local authority to any insurance company - shall constitute a debt recoverable by that company .from: the local authority in any. court of competent jurisdiction'" '

The power to mortgage property, as security for loans is taken away from the Boards, but it is proposed that limitation on borrowing shall be tho amount of the whole of the estimated., annual expenditure approved by tho Minister ill placo of one half of the same., .. .. :

,In regard to .the taking over. of tlio Fire Board of fire prevention , property .from the localJ authority,'the Bill is altered to read sis follows:—.

" The Fire Board shall pay.- to tho local authority which owned the said property tho capital valuei thereof as so ; ,dcteremined, to; gother with interest thereon, by twenty-six .annual instalments equal to's per .centum-of tho said capital valued Every such instalment'shall be deemed to include both principal and interest, and shall be paid, at. such time or times as the Board and the local authority agree upon, and, in default of any siich agreement, then at' the end of each financial year of the Board." : A new sub-section makes the consent of -tho-local authority from,which land or buildings aro. acquired necessary to tho mortgaging or disposal of such property, until all moneys payablo by tho Board to Jhe .local authority in respect of' the'• property have been paid. '•■■'•• " The Minister or tlio local authority in consenting to' such : sale, lease, • mortgage, charge, or. other disposition, may imfioso. con-ditions-as to: the .manner in which any moneys, so obtained by tho Board shall bo expended for fire ; prevention purposes,' and the Board shall expend -the samo accordingly." ■ , When the committeo.'s • report was presented to the Council yesterday: afternoon, tho Attorney-General said that, in view of tlio urgoncy of tho measure,' lie would -ask tho- Council to • .tako- .it-, in-, committee' .before proceeding with, tho Land Bill.