FIRE BRIGADES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 108, 2 November 1907, Page 5

FIRE BRIGADES.

« THE AMENDING BILL SECOND BEADING CARRIED IN THE HOUSE. POINTS FOE CONSIDERATION. In moving the second reading of the Fire Brigades BilJ last night, the Native Minister remarked that in the practical ■working of the Act of last year there ■were inanv anomalies and difficulties. An amending Bill was introduced in the Legislative Council, but people interested in the working of tore brigade matters urged that certain amendments should be made, and this Bill proposed to give a local authority the option of removing itself from the scope of the Act. thus making the Bill optional instead of compulsory. The Minister then went on to deal in further detail with the Bill, the provisions of which have already been published. Mr- Jus. Allen said it was not much of a compliment to the Legislature that a new Bill had to be introduced before an Act could be made workable. The most important alteration proposed was that which limited it to districts of more than 5000 'inhabitants. That cut out all the small local bodies, and he thought that the limitation should be done away ■with so as to prevent any injustice. As to the contribution to be made by the Government in the four centres, he thought it would be fairer to have assessed it on a ratable basis. Mr. Barber said he was sorry that the Government abandoned the principle in last year's Bill that insurance companies should contribute towards the upkeep of the brigades. The effect of the alteration made in this Bill would render the provision ineffective, as in the first place it only applied to big districts and in the cases in which local bodies decided to take a poll on the question of coming under the Act, it required twen-ty-five per cent, of the ratepayers to record their votes to render the poll valid. That was a large poll on ordinary occasions, besides which the insurance companies would use all their influence against the Bill. He believed that the local bodies also would bo influenced by the insurance companies, and they woaJd try to get their own nominees on the board. Tho Minister might as well abandon ihe Bill at once, as it would not be anything like as effective as he anticipated. Mr. Gray thought that Mr. Barber was mistaken. He read it that all existing fire districts would be subject to this Act. In new districts, however, new provisions applied. Ho agreed, however, with his objection to the new proposal that a certain number of people had to vote before a poll was valid. That principle had been discarded for years and was now almost obsolete. The limit of 5000 inhabitants was <oo exclusive, and would render it impossible for about 77 out of the existing fire brigades to get the benefit of the Act. The Government contribution to the four centres was not sufficient. The Government had representation on the board equal to one-seventh, and its contribution in Christchurch would would only be equal (o one thirty-fifth of the cost of the brigade, although the value of its property in Christchurch was equal to one-ninth of the total value of all property in the city. No provision, he pointed out, was mado for the boards to take over the property of volunteer brigades. Sir. Buddo also objected to the limitation clauso, and read letters from Kangiora and Kaiapoi pointing out that if the Bill was not amended they would be prevented from taking advantage of it. He approved of the provision that 25 per cent, of tho ratepayer* must vole at the poll. Mr. Wood: Only 29 people voted at the fire brigade poil at Palmerston North last year. Mr. Buddo expressed tho opinion thatif the Bill passed as proposed it would ( not be long before only the four centres remained under its provisions. Sir W. Steward also opposed tho population limits under the Bill. As to the Government contribution, ha pointed out that even if it is a, proper proportion at present it might easily become entirely disproportionate within the next ten years. His iden was thai the Government should pay in proportion its property bore to 'the value of all the property in the fire district. Mr. Wood urged that as the insurance companies had never paid anything to the support of the brigades they should be made to pay liberally in the first instance. The Bill should also be amended so as to provide that Government nominees on the board should not be members of the Underwriters Association. Mr. Hogg, while generally approving of the Bill, objected to tho population limitation. If the GovernmenlT contention was based on the ratable value of Government buildings, it would work wry in?nuitab(y in three places in which a fair share of tho public money had not been , spent on the erection of public buildings. In replying to these and other remarks the Minister said that it hud b?c-n found to bo a very difficult matter to establish, a fire board, nnd it was a very »asy matter to dissolvo » fire board, and revert to the old system. As to the population basi3 he was quite prepared to meet the objections, and to fix the minimum if any was decided ou. lie pointed out, however, that tinles« there was a fairly large population it might be difficult to carry out tliu responsibilities entailed by the Act. As to tho Government contribution, h-a «ould diseu.'s tho matter with his col,lenfrui.'s. Personally his sympathies wore with the boards, but, of course, the Government had to consider how far it rould go. Tho second reading wa3 agreed to on the voices.

Another grievance has been discovered by an Aiicklander. Tho usuai position of a wall map, puts Auckland well above the Fight liiv", and at the same lime places the Southern ports in a better position. It is now proposed from rhit progrt'fcbive city that wall maps of In'cw Zealand should be hung upsidu down. At a meeting of the Wellington Iron and Brass Mouldurs Union last night, Mr. D. M'Laren was instructed to ) notify the employers, "That if any work' i-> done on Saturday, the Olh in;>t\ (Kind's Birthday"), tho union will dii.i that double time laW be paid, ;is thcf Lio In-; l.ites specified in the aw aid/ 1 A telegram to the Tourist Department states that the (ishing season v.i Ilotonta opened yesterday. Over 100 anglcis went out on tho lalcps at midnight on , Tlnirsflny, and fished all night. 'The total catch resulted in over 600 rainbow trout, running in weight from three to eleven pounds, being secured. Tho fish were nil in vory good condition for this season of the year, thosn caught in Lake Taiiiwera being quite fat. The Eastbourne Borough Council ad-vertj-i'S a "special order" making a special rate as set forth in detail. Mr .T C. Thom-on, i£ II It . -vill n <\- t\r"-* tl)* men's xir-etiuj; at tho V M C.A , oa Sunday afternoon. At the evening 1 service of St John's Church to-morrow, Dr. Gibb will conclude his series of sermons on Certain . Kinds of Pools pourtrajed m the Bible.