VOLUNTEER FIRE POLICE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 19, 17 October 1917, Page 8

VOLUNTEER FIRE POLICE

ANNUAL MEETING. Tho annual meeting of the Volunteer Fire Police and Volunteer Fire Corps was held last evening in the Mayor's room at tho Town Hall, the Mayor (Mr. J. l\ Luke)' presiding. Tho annual report for the >ear ended September 30, 1917, states that the corps at present consists of 21 members. Owing to tho small ,nu.mber of tires during the year the calls on t.lic members have not been very great. The corps places on record the great courtesy at all timea displayed U> members of .the Fir© Police by tho Superintendent of the brigade, his officers and men, and also members of tho local I'olice Force, who upon all occasions have done their utmost to assist tho Fire Folice in the execution of their duty. The annual balance-sheet showed receipts for the year to bo i;3S 45., as compared with JL'37 as. in the previous year. The expenditure amounted t-9. <£12 25., leavin" a balance of -£-(i 25., which, with jeiD 13s. brought forward from the previous year, gives a. balance .n hand of ■£15 15s. The Sick and Accident Fund Account shows assets consisting of live JJIO War Loan Certificates, and credit in the Tost Oflicc account J3S, and interest '"'flic Mayor, in moving tho of the report, congratulated toe ] - ire Police on tho results of the year. There were no conflagrations in the city, duo, no doubt to tho greater tare of the public and the greater vigilance and alertness of the Fire Brigade. He made eulogistic reference to the Fire Brigade, and staled that the City Council had let a contract for tho levelling down of a section at Newtown on which an up-to-date fire station was lo be erected. lie also made reference to Fire Boards, and saul the city preferred to control its own I'ire Bjigade, although this was not amirorcd by everyone, because the city had to find the whoio of tho money, whilo with «. Fire Board tho underwriters fonnd halt the monev. He expressed regret at the absence of Captain J. Wright, who was on a. health-recruiting trip in the Waira-

"ITi- T Ballingor, in seconding tho adoption 'or the report, referred at some length to tho desirability of the uij having a Fire Board. . Mr. W. H. V. Barber (chniran-n o Iho Tiro Brigudo Committee) g»vo details «t the proposed new firo elation to be erected a t tho top of Const able, btreet ami explained the difficulties n.xperß-n«a bv ijjo City Council m oblaminy tho wte. The contract for levelling the had been let, ,and tho cost v ould iuii into several hundreds, iho ouncil approacihod the underwriters Jo hnanco tho erection of the building, juul individual managers were sy: the Council of tho hire Underwriters Asno ciation declined to entertain the pninosal owing to war conditions. Had it Lt boon for thoso conditions tho council would not have appealed to J writers Ho contended 1 that nowitn standing the calls mado on the ™ el"k<jl--of the brigade, tho officiencj-of tho Firo Brigado was well maintained. The report and balance-sheet wen. a 'TEoiollowing officers were Captain J. "Wright, Lieutenant* a. Bellinger, J. C. Citsack, A. Ashcr, and J. A. Short; secretary, Lieutenant ,T. 0. - „ck; treasurer, &. T. Bailuiger; auditors,, V J. Ballinger and AV. Lango. A presentation of a, fourteen years service certihcate was mado to 11. 1. Ballinger, and seven years' service, medah, in T Ogden, W. Lange, and T). Boyd. A.' presentation of a pickle cruet« made to Lieutenant •!. C. Ousack in cognition of his excellent «*- of photographs wero presented to Captain Wright by F O *M* O Jfe { ° r accepting the photographs on his Whalf. ■