FIRE BRIGADE TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 311, 25 September 1908, Page 4

FIRE BRIGADE TROUBLE.

(. THE AUXILIARY SERVICE, SEVERAL RESIGNATIONS ACCEPTED. The Fire Brigade Committee last night re- ' commended tho City Council that the fore- . man of the Island Bay l r irc Brigade be informed that his. application for an in- . creased retaining fee mil be considered when next year's estimates are drawn up. The committee reported that they had considered the cases of those men who have resigned • from the auxiliary fire brigade, and had accepted their resignations. Councillor' Ballinger, in moving the adoption of the report, said an interesting list relating to. the work of auxiliary briga-des-mon had.boon prepared by tho supermton- : dent. It showodrtliat during tho year, Sep- ; tember 17, 1907, to September 17, 1905,: 107 ■■ calls were given. .The man on tho top ■of the. list attended only 56 fires, for which service • ho received £15 (the retaining fee), and 10s.' > fid. for. extra work. Under tho new system he would have received £1G Bs. The neat man attended only 22 fires, for which service he received £10 65., being, retaining; fee'. (£ls) and £1 fis. .for,extra services. Under the new system he.would have'received only £12 2s. Gd. There could bo no doubt J that /, the new system was much fairer thaiv tho old. Instead of being paid £15 retaining fee &id 2s. per hour after the first hour,. they reeeived £7 10s. retaining fee, 3s. for the ■ first hour at a Are, and 2s. for each subsequent hour. The fact was that under tha old system a man was. paid -whether .ho worked or not; under the new, a man 1 was paid for his work. Already the places of' six-of the men who resigned had been filled. . The Mayor said that the men had been in the service for a number of years, and had performed their duties well. In view of that fact they ought'not to bo dealt with arbitrarily. The men generally would, ho said, bo better off under the now conditions, alia the men ought to have an opportunity of ' coming under them. Councillor M'Liven declared that there was a considerable amount of feeling among tho men who hf.d resigned. They had the idea that'the new terms of service were not nearly '• so good as those which. they had worked ' - under. . A conference with the men ought, in ■ his opinion, to bo held. He moved that the report be held over for further considers,- ' tion.

Councillor Smith hold the opinion that the ' • committee had adopted the proper course. . 'Councillor Cohen said that three or four'." of the men who resigned had withdrawn their resignations.. As. soon as the stations at Newtown and Thorndon were finished'the men would be better off in respect of quarters. He hoped thft other men, all of whdra. were competent, would withdraw.their resignations. "

Upon being put, Hie amendment was lost, and tho report was adopted.