FIRE BOARD CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 260, 30 July 1937, Page 6

FIRE BOARD CONTROL

Proposal at Upper Hutt Simultaneous with the kerbing and elinnnelliug loan proposal there will be submitted to ratepayers of Upper Hutt to-morrow a proposal to establish a lire board district at Upper Hutt and place lire fighting there under its control. Cr. (1. it. Guthrie, chairman of the tire prevention committee, stated yesterday that lhe cost under municipal control over the past eight years was £27-19, a yearly average of £3-13. Under fire board control the borough's share would be 45 per cent., or £154; the fire board’s share 45 per eent., or £154: and there would bo a 10 per cent. Government subsidy of £3l; making a total of £343, By contributing £343 under fire hoard control, the amount of money which would be available in bringing the brigades up to date would be approximately £7OO. The average cost per annum over the past 12 years to various boroughs with fire board districts was: Levin. £280; Dargaville. £248: To Arolia, £270; Tanmarnnui. £235; Birkenhead. £229 (six years’ average). Under fire boards in those districts new fire stations had been built and up-to-date fire engines and equipment purehased. It could readily be seen, said Cr. Guthrie, that with the borough’s average expenditure on fire prevention over the past eight years at approximately £343. the brigades could bo brought up to date, as was the case under other fire boards, and at a cost to the borough of only 45 per cent, of the total expenditure. Throughout the Dominion there were a number of lire boards similar to the board which it was proposed to set up in Upper Hutt. Owing to the configuration of the borough and the length of 41 miles it was necessary to maintain two units. Many of the boards Im referred to were in boroughs which had a smaller capital value and a smaller population than Upper Hutt.

; The fire board could take over the api proved equipment at valuation as a going concern at 5 per cent, for 2(5 years. Under the present system of municipal control the ratepayers had to find all the cost of fire prevention measures, whereas, under lire board control, the borough contributed 45 per cent, of the total cost. At the present time, to bring the plant ami appliances up to a standard of efficiency a considerable amount, of money was required. As suggested by Mr. Gir-ling-Butcher, inspector of fire brigades, the fire station at Silverstream required moving to a more suitable site on the main road. The present hose tender at .Silverstream was unsuitable and could be replaced by the tuve tender at Upper Hutt, and a new motor equipped with a jitimp installed at Upper Hutt. A new station was also required at Upper Hutt in the near future, as the present wooden structure was getting beyond repair.

“A PROUD NATIVE” First of His People to Become a Minister An inspiring mldress was given at the Lower Hutt Methodist. Church on Wednesday by the Rev. Belshazzar Gina, of (lie Methodist Mission in the Solomon Islands. The Bev. H. Peat presided. Mr. Gina was accompanied by Mr. It. Horman on the pipe organ in a sacred solo, and lie afterward played cornet and mouth-organ solos. Mr. Gina said he was ft living example of the transforming power brought about by Christ in the Solomons. His father wns a head-hunter ami well remembered the arrival of the pioneer missionaries 35 years ago. Revolting cannibalistic practices were rife before the islanders became Chhistianised. The fact that he was tile first of his people to .become a minister of the Gospel was a great joy to him. The depression, with the resultant retrenchment. was a difficult period on the mission field. As a result of the withdrawal of a number of European missionaries many of the Solomon Islanders carried on without: remuneration. He himself gave hi« services so that his meagre salary of £2O per annum might be divided among four boys who assisted him. At the close of his talk Air. Gina sang a hymn in bis native language. ,