CITY FIRE BRIGADE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXII, Issue 95, 19 October 1906, Page 2

CITY FIRE BRIGADE.

DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT APPOINTED. THE QUESTION OF ACCOMMODATION. The Fire Brigade Committee reported at the mestintf of the City Council last night- that it liad appointed Mr. W. S. O'Brien to the position of DeputySuperintendent of the Fire Brigade. Mr. O'Brien, it was stated, has had sixteen and a half years fire brigade experience, and is at present in charge of ono of tho lyrge suburban firo stations at Melbourne. Councillor Godber added that Mr. O'Brien was now in charge of the Malvem suburb of Melbourne, which contained a population -equal to about twothirds of the population of Wellington, and ho shouid be fully competent to carry out the duties of deputy-superin-tendent. The salary fixod was £5200 a. year and quarters. The Mayor said that Mr. O'Brien had not been appointed; lie had only, been selected. Councillor Smith urged that the council should confirm the appointment, in face of the strong recommendation made by Superintendent Hugo. The council would have to find accommodation for the new man somewhere or other. Councillor Cohen said that the committee had power to appoint a deputy- superintendent. The apjiointment was confirmed. The 'question of accommodation was raised by the following report Worn the Finance Committee:— "The committee have to report that in view of the value of the site opposite the Town' Hall and tho meagrenees of the building proposed to bo erected thereon for. the extension of tbo Central Fire Station, ned owing to the passing of the Fire Brigades Act, the committee are of opinion that the whole question of proceeding with the erection of this building should be reconsidered." i'lie Mayor urged that the- proposed addition was npt one that was equal to modern requirements, and the council ought to be able to give something in tha way of accommodation better than that. Tho council' also thought that tho Firo Brigade Board ought to Have tho opportunity of eaying what should bo done. They all knew that the present building was defective. A top story could be put on, and if that was dona probably it would bs a great improvement. A certain amount of system had got into the question of the fire brigade, and they had spent money to what was, perhaps, an undue extent. The city was certainly a long way ahead in ttjipMances and expenditure of other cities. Councillor Smith: We pay for everything ; Auckland does not. Tho Mayor said he had a report from the Auckland Town Clerk, and Wellington was spending about £1200 or £1400 a yeir more than Auckland for a less population. The Central Firo Brigade there went outside tho boundaries of the city. Wellington had Brooklyn, Kilbirnie, and Kclburne. The committee submitted that tho proposed building was not worthy of the site, which was worth £5000 or £6000, and that the whole building ought to be reconsidered, and any additions should be in tho direction of improvement. If the council had to Ufind over tho buildings to tho new Firo Brigade Board thoy should hnnd them over together "with a well, thought-out scheme. Councillor Bias, in seconding the nwtion for adoption, said it was t:ot right for the council to incur a heavy expenditure- at the present time, for when the board to bo constituted under the new Firo Brigades Act took office it might be found that the fire insurance cpmpanies representatives take a i different view as to the nosd of such a. work. t Councillor Godber opposed the r6port. He thought it essontial that our fire brigade ahould be kept at the higlic.«t point of efficiency. The proaosod site was reserved years ago for firo brigado purposes'by the City Council, and the'proponod new building was planned in conformity with the building already erected. The city was growing in importance, and more accommodation was necessary in respect of tho fire prevention appliances and provision of propor men. He moved as an amendment that the council disagrees with the clause, and resolves to accept the lowest tender received for the work. ' * Councillor Cohen thought it would be impossible to get a better site for the firo brigade station than that now occupied. There had been three thousand new buildings put up in Wellington during tho last ccvon years, and yet we had increased our outlay on tho brigade by hardly a penny. Tho Mayor interjected that there had been material increase. Conncillor Winder objected to the proposal to spoil so good a site as the present ono with so poor n building ns that proposed to be erected on it. A question needing consideration wua where was the money to como from? Councilloi Morrah opposed the report, The Finance Committee ho .urged, only ought to havo" reported as to whether Ihefo were funds for the building proposed. . . Councillor Smith supported tho amendment, thinking that the time was ripe for providing such additional accommodation ne was proposed. In Auckland ho added, there were a grcnt many volunteers, thus reducing the cost of the brigade. It waa not much to propose an expenditure of £1400 for this additional accommodation, 'and he thought tho proposals in the- Fire- Brigades Act wero a slur on the muncipalities, which had up to ,the present carried out 'their duties .remarkably well in this respect. Councillor Hindmarsh had . not ' read the new Act, but understood that tho new Act did not give tho board power to borrow money or ereci new buildings. The Mayor: Yes, they have. Continuing, he said that the new Act noccssitated the council wiping out its overdraft at the end of the- year, nnd economy wns absolutely necessary. They were told that the present fire brigade building was not in a proper condition, and he asked whether it was wise to erect a paltry addition, which would not' carry an extra story. It was the most wasteful use a valuable piece of ground, could be put to. Councillor Morrah said the council had decided that the building would stand being added to, and the matter wns only referred to tho Finance Committee as to tho provision of tho necessary money for tho purpose. Councillor Murdoch roingi'fced that quarters must bo provided for ths deputysuperintendent. Could the council, he asked, b© compelled to give tho site over to tho new bonrd constituted -under tho Act. The Mayor said it was a very doubtful question whether the council could compel the board to tako that piece of ground over. It was doubtful whether the council could compel the- boord_ to take it over if they put a new building upon it.' Councillor Murdoch agreed with the suggestion that thcro should be a mansard roof put on tho present building. If that was done a bettor appearanco would , be given, and it wonld be much choaper than putting a new building on the suggested site. What ho required to ensure Mas moro accommodation. Councillor Frost agreed that a mansard roof would improvo tho appearance of tho present building, which was a otanding architectural disgrace us it now waa. Councillor Iznrd eaid lie understood

thiit the 'cost of the addition (£1400) was provided for by the engineer in his estimates. 'The Mayor: Have you got that from the engineer himself? Councillor Izard : No ; I have not ; but I understand it is perfectly correct. The council, he added, some time' *>go npproved of the expenditure. Tho Mayor s?id Lo understood from the engineer that there was no foundation j for the statement that tho sum of £1400,1 had been placed on the estimates for this purpose. Councillor Godber's amendment was, lest, the noes beiDg Councillors Biss, Carmichael, Frost, Hiudmarsh, M'Laren, and Winder, and the report "was adopted.