FIRE BOARDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 211, 30 May 1908, Page 6

FIRE BOARDS.

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. /THE ACT OF LAST SESSION. AMENDMENTS WANTED. There.are provisions in the Fire Brigades Act. of last session, which are found to bo difficult of application. At a rccent conference of firo boards these provisions were fully discussed, suggested amendments were decided upon, and yostorday representatives from various parts of the Dominion waited on tho Hon. Dr. Findlay (Minister for Internal Affairs) to urgo their incorporation in an amending Bill next session. The representatives were as follow: —Messrs. E. J. Armstrong, 0. 11. J. Turner, R. Essex, and Huntor (Palmerston North),, F. G. Cray (Dunedin), Simpson (Foilding), Ewington and Brown (Mastorton), and Johnston, (Dannevirke). Tho deputation was introduced by Mr. W. T. Wood, M.P.. (Palmerston North). Tho delegates, said Mr. Wood, represented practically. the .whole of the. firo boards in the Dominion. v . , TO ACQUIRE SITES. Mr. R.' Essex, ex-mayor of Palmerston, said it was desired that tho Act bo amended to allow firo boards to borrow under tho Loans to Local Bodies Act, to acquire sites and erect buildings. Ho said the necessity for this really arose at Palmerston North. The site .of tho. present. fire . brigade station was a borough reserve, and the only suitable place, the borough really had for the erection of a library. It had been doomed advisable to relinquish this section and purchase another. The valuo of the former site was about £3000, and of the lattor £1200. Application-to the Minister for assistance had elicited that no power existed under tho Loans to Local Bodies Act to borrow tho Accessary money. • They had been communicated with other firo boards, and had found .similar conditions existed elsewhere, for sites that had been suitable in time past wore too cramped to permit of necessary expansion. In this request, therefore, Palmerston was supported by the fire boards practically throughout the Domiuion. -The .Act genorally was a very valuable one, and was calculated to be,of benefit to tho Dominion. The borrowing power they desired could either,bo:as ho had suggested, or by means of debentures. ' . . . Mr. F. \G. Cray (Dunedin) said the difficulty mentioned by Mr. Essex had been met with' in Dunedin.; They also wanted ' tho Govornmont' to consider the question, emphasised in committee on the Bill in;, the Houso last that the firo boards should havo. power to acquire sites under tho Public .Works Act. Necessarily a board would be placed in a difficulty if it had to go .into the open market and purchase property required ■ for public purposes. As to borrowing they would suggest that Section 25 of, the Act be amended to allow fire boards, in anticipation of their annual revenue, to borrow money from tho bank by way of overdraft, with a limitation to tho current year's approved estimate. Tho Minister: To the wholo of it? Mr. Cray:. Yes. . \ • THE FINANCIAL YEAR. v It was also decided at tho conference, said Mr. Cray, that the Act should be-amended to make t-ho'financial year end at March 31 instead of,on June'3o. This was practically necessary, as the-Act stood, to, onablo/the boards to see their positions before mitting their estimates at tho required date. - : - ' INQUESTS ON FIRES. .• Tho doputation would also like the opinion of tho Minister ,as to'whether it was necessary, under .Section 46,- for tho whole board to require a coroner to institute an inquiry, and carry - out other necessary regulations) and whether, under' Section . 36, a 'sub-com-mittee of the board'or it's cliairman' could not'bo deputed to "do so. It might involve considerable time in a scattered district if these regulations 'had ito bo observed. -It was the desire of tho boards to help tho interests of the community in which, they resided, but they, found it difficult to carry out tho provisions of the Act', owing to their position in being placed in somo respects as no other, public'bodies were. I

DISSOLUTION OF BOARDS. . ; Mr. 'Brown (Masterton) spoke of a proposal to mako the dissolution ;of fire boards possible only after ; a • poll of ratepayers. At present tho power lay with the Governor-in-Couucil. The conforenco had suggested the above courso. ' OUTSIDE OF BOUNDARIES. . '■ V Mr. Brown also said it was desired to amend Scction 43, Clause F. This section provides that a board may mako provision for the attendance and services of their >brigado, at ai-firo outside the fire district-boun-daries, and , for the payment of stipulated fees Ijy the occupier or owner of such building. . The' deputation desired that the words "local authority" be substituted for " owner or .occupier." Tho owner or occupier, said Mr. Brown, might decline to pay and' it seeihed doubtful if. the board could recover the fee. - STAMP DUTY. ' ; A further suggested provision, was that, firo boards should, like local bodies, be oxempt from payment of : stamp ■ duty in the matter- of receipts. , ' , ■- THE MINISTER'S REPLY. In replying, the Minister said tho suggested amendments. had not yet been before him, and lie . could not thus be expected to give an immodiato answor. He was, free to observe, however, that they were, obviously amendments that would securo -tho smoother working of tho Act, as far as ho could seo at present—with one exception, perhaps. Tho amendments would be brought before his colloagues, and would, ho thought, bo favourably considered with a view to_ an amending Act next session. In new legislation' little difficulties naturally _ arose when tho Act camo into actual operation, and the ■ present measure was no exception; but while ! the Government believed it promised to be(a i great boon to the Dominion, they had xecog--1 nised from the first that amendments would probably be found necessary. Ho, agreed that ' the same powers should be given to the fire [ boards as to local bodies. Fire prevention was a great public purpose. . He felt a good caso could be made out respecting tho mattei ! ' of sites, and hoped the Government would be r able to give the statutory provision asked ■ for. Ho promised to give tho overdraft question full consideration, .and the suggestion regarding the financial year ending on June 30 seemed also a fair proposal. Ho alsc ; thought the proposal regarding the -ordering of-inqu9sts a reasonable one, as was also th< suggestion that a poll should determine tin . dissolution of fire boards. It seemed to b( '' reasonable to ask' for a poll whoro a loca body decid.ed to Tetiro from tho oporatioi of tho Act. Ho suggested amendment o Clause 43, making the local ' authority in stead of an owner or occupicr of a buildin; a responsible for payment in the case of fire; - ho would havo to look into. Tho applicatioi 1 regarding tho stamp duty would also bo con sidcred. As to the matter of conferring bor rowing powers, Cabinot would go fully inti - tho request. Tho Victorian Act, which hax been in operation cightcon years, appeare< v to contain no further provision than our ow: Act. Ho .would bo abln to say shortly wha i> tho Government would do in tho abovmatters. As -far as he could sco, thcro wer[j no suggestions that ho could object to. bu his answers must not bo takon as definite.