FIRE BOARDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 122, 19 November 1937, Page 5

FIRE BOARDS

SYSTEM DEFENDED

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL

Opposition to any proposal under the Local Government (Amalgamation Schemes) Bill to disturb the existing fire board system was expressed at the meeting of the Wellington Fire Board yesterday.

The following motion, moved by the chairman (Mr. N. W. Nelson), was passed1 and is to be forwarded to the Committee which has been set up to hear evidence in connection with the Bill:—

That this board, having considered the proposals of the Government for amalgamation of local authorities, is of opinion that the existing fire board system should not be disturbed, particularly so far as it affects the major city boards. It is considered that the scale of the operations and the technical character of the service justifies the continuance of a special controlling' authority. It is noted that the administrative costs

represent such a small percentage of

the total expenditure that no saving would be likely if the city fire boards were amalgamated with -the municipality.

The board further considers that, if any amalgamation is to take place, it should be of contiguous or adjacent fire brigade controlling authorities on the lines of the metropolitan fire boards formed at Auck-

land and Dunedin.

Mr. Nelson said he thought the board should also intimate that it desires to be heard.

Councillor M. F. 'Luckie said that as far as the City Council was concerned there was no doubt that it would make representations on the general principles, but the question of the amalgamation of fire boards raised a number of issues which, really were of a. totally different character. Was the suggestion going to be made of an amalgamation with the Hutt and Petone? He did not think there was anything to be gained by anything of that sort. Mr. S. S. Dean; We are in a different position from other local bodies. Councillor Luckie: Ours is a continuously local service. You cannot say that the Hutt and Petone are contiguous to Wellington. Mr. Dean said that fire boards were in a different ■ position from rabbit boards and drainage boards. It was decided to forward a. copy of | thp views expressed in the resolution to the Committee on the Bill and to suggest .that the board be represented by the chairman and Councillor Luckie.