KILBIRNIE REQUIREMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 686, 10 December 1909, Page 8

KILBIRNIE REQUIREMENTS.

IN CASE' OF FIEE Anotier deputation from the Kilbirme Eatepayere Association waited upon the By-Laws and Fire Brigades, Committee, of , the City Council 'jesterday, and brought under notice bweral requirements of the- district Mr. Clank, piesidunt of, tho local Fire Brigade, staifcd that' beven alarms wore being orected in-Kilbirme, Vut the opinion<of ratepayers was that more were 'required, u as tho alarm points'under the present scheme wore too /far apart flaraitm liad guly two, and tho portion of the d.strict overloofang the Patont Slip was; entirely cut oft from the alarms , An alarm shoujd be erected in liata Eoad, or in 'thai vicinity.' Soufi Kilbirmo 1 and North Eilbirnio also required mdro alarms It wag also pointed out that when the fire bell'rang it could not bo heard even 1 by people who lived dose, to 'and it waa suggested that a system' of alarmj should be 1 pat , through the houses of members of the brigade living within a reasonable distance of'the etahdn Tie I primitive means A of 1 getting the hoce reel to fires was> also com--1 mented on, Mr. Clark pointing out that the 1 bngadesmon had to puslrthe reel to tile scone of a fire Considering the largc'area which the brigade had to cover, the deputation thought 1 the council should provide a small motor which would carry a couple ot hoses and a couple lof men. A motor, it lias urged, must come 1 sooner or later, but in. the event 'of the counI cil being usable to provide one' at present, the deputation suggested' the advisahteness of paying a small subsidy to the owner of a horse in order that the 'horse should be available for the brigade when l "» fire took , place l The bngadesmen—seventeen' of wh»m< are volunteers—do not consider that they we' properly equipped by the council, atid_ they are ansious that t{i6 council should' provide them with trousers' for use whsn"nr,6 fighting Mr Qlark thought t|tat whoti the council got the services ofitho men for notbijig, \t wds getting off light with this request' ,-> Councillor Balhngcr, chairman of the committeo, deputation that oily that morning,'bofore ho know of the movement of the Ratepayer? , Association, he had beon discussiog with Superintendent P'Bnqn "several of the questions ju&t raised, more narbcularty the necessity for a motor for (Kilbirnio Personally, ho was fully eeized of the requirements of the district, and he knew that before long tho question of increasing the gear must bo looked into The council nad'voted .£BOOO for fire brigades last year, and another .£BOOO this year, and with this fairly heavy >■ tax on tho ratepayers it was impossible to 00 everything at once The money, had all been allocated, but next year "o much 'would not have to be do;io in tho city, and 'suburban extensions would receive more 1 of the vote Ks to' the request thflt ttouseis should be supplied to the volunteers, he'thought this'was a reasonable request Tho chairman promised that the representations made b> the deputation' would Ibe coittideted hj the caaiiittea, > - <