LONG SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 20, 18 October 1930, Page 21

LONG SERVICE

Fire-fighter Honoured HUTT SUPERINTENDENT For twenty-five years, that is, since its inauguration on October 13, 1905, Superintendent T. W. Slinn has been a member o£ the Lower Hutt Volunteer Fire Brigade. For over twenty-four of those years he hjis been its superintendent, the only break being from October 3, 1900, to October 7, 1907. As the officers are elected annually by the members "of the brigade, such a record is indeed remarkable. The Lower Hutt Borough Council decided to place on record its appreciation of Superintendent Slinn’s service by presenting to him a rose bowl, and also a medal recording his twenty-five years of service. The presentations were made on Thursday evening at the fire station by the mayor of Lower Hutt, Sir Alexander Roberts. Associated with him were several councillors, and among the visitors were: Mr. Walter Nash, M.P., Mr. B. McKenzie, mayor of Petone, Mr. F. H. Hewer, chairman of the Hutt River Board, Mr. E. H. Hollands, engineer-general manager of the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board, representatives of the Wellington, Petone, and Upper Hutt brigades, and the Wellington Fire Board. Mrs. Slinn was also present for the presentation. Apologies for absence were received from Mr. Lodder, chairman of the Hutt and Petone Gas Lighting Board, Colonel T. W. McDonald, M.P., Mayor of Lower Hutt when the brigade was formed, Mr. W. T. Strand, an ex-Mayor of Lower Hutt, Dr. C. M. Hector, first surgeon to the brigade, and Mr. W. F. Sturmer, town clerk of Petone. The rose bowl bore the inscription: “To Thomas William Slinn from the Mayor, Councillors and Burgesses of the borough of Lower Hutt, in grateful recognition of 25 years’ service with the Lower Hutt Volunteer Fire Brigade. Service 1905-30 : 24 years superintendent, October, 1930.” “I would like to thank Superintendent Slinn for his services and convey to him the congratulations of the councillors and burgesses of Lower Hutt,’’ said Sir Alexander Roberts. “We are proud of his having attained 25 years’ service. May I also say we hope that he will be able to continue his service for many years to come. I am told that the biigadesmen are willing he should continue as superintendent so long as he is capable of jumping on the machine as it passes his place. .. , “There are many ways in which a man can render service to the community, but I think I am correct in saying there is no way in which a man can render greater service than the way in which Superintendent Slinn has rendered service during the last 25 years. His is a very' difficult way of rendering publie service.” ' Remarkable Record.

“In 25 years,” continued Sir Alexander Roberts, “there have been 1170 musters of the Fire Brigade, including 256 fires and false alarms, and Superintendl- - Slinn has attended 1102 of them. That is a wonderful record. _He has missed 68 musters only in 2o years. That is a .record he may well be proud of, and the borough of Lower Hutt may well be proud of.” Sir Alexander said he wished Superintendent and Mrs. Slinn long life and happiness. The council’s only complaint, and the speaker made the statement in all sincerity, was that the superintendent was too modest in his requests to thp council. 'The council recognised that the efficiency of the brigade was due to the tact a"nd energy of' Superintendent Slinn. After Mr. E. P. Bunny, Mayor of Lower Hutt from 1908 to 1914, had supplemented Sir Alexander's remarks, Sir Alexander made the presentation to Superintendent Slinn amid prolonged applause/ and the singing of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” Superintendent Slinn said he had no idea that any presentation was to have been made to him. When he joined up with the brigade in 1905 he had no thought of reward. Nor did the others who joined up with him.' The beginning was an uphill fight for the brigade. The men had to build their own shed and then they had to borrow a hand manual from Petone. Later they had a reel, and later still the brigade went into its present quarters and had provided for it up-to-date appliances. The Council’s Confidence. Councillor F. Campbell, in proposing the toast of "The Lower Hutt Volunteer Fire Brigade,” said that there was no institution of the council that enjoyed more the confidence of councillors than the fire brigade. No request received greater consideration from the Council than from the brigade. That was because the Council knew it had in Superintendent Slinn an expert in charge of the brigade. It knew that no request would come from him unless it was necessary. One could not help but commend him on the way the brigade bad evolved until to-day it was very efiieient and second to none of any brigade in New Zealand of the same size. Deputy-Superintendent Doran, replying to the toast, said that he could honestly say the brigade .was comprised of men of excellent character, men who .could be trusted to go anywhere. That was true of the brigade from its inception. Other toasts were: “The Visitors,” proposed by Councillor D. S. Patrick, replied to by Mr. D. McKenzie; “Lower Hutt Borough Council,” proposed by Mr, F. S. Hewer, replied to by Councillor A. Mcßain; “The Parliament of New Zealand,” proposed by Mr. E. P. Bunny, and responded to by Mr. Walter Nash, M.P., and Mr. W. Jordan, M.P. During the evening musical and elocutionary items were given by Messrs, Barton Ginger, L. Assheton-Harbord, Wilbur Davis, Will Hancock. At 9.30 the gathering was disturbed by an alarm, which, on investigation, proved to be a false one, the engine returning within a few minutes.