FIRE BRIGADE SMOKE CONCERT.

Evening Star, Issue 11838, 18 March 1903, Page 3

FIRE BRIGADE SMOKE CONCERT.

0n t their arrival in Dunedin last night, / m route to Melbourne, from the recent fire brigades' demonstration at Napier, the Chiltern (Victoria) Fire Brigade were entertained at a smoke concert by their comrades at the local station. The" opportunity was also taken to present Captain Mitchell with a twenty-five years' gold service star for work in connection with the different brigades in the colony. Tn the absence of the mayor (Mr J. A. Park), Captain Mitchell took the • chair. There were also present Crs Scott and M'Donald, and members of the South Dunedin, Rosiyn, Dunedin .Railway, Gore, Invercargill, St. Kilda, Port Chalmers, Lawrence, and North Dunedin Fire Brigades. Mr Clark wrote stating that in Captain Mitchell the City had a chief of whose energy and judgment the brigade are justly proud, and the "knowledge that he is in cnarge, and supported by so able and ■willing a staff, gives a feeling of security in regard to life and property in case of fire, besides contributing to the lowering of fire insurance rates." • The Chairman proposed the toast of " The King," and Cr Scott that of "The Governor," both of which were duly honored. Captain Mitchell proposed the toast of " Our Guests," mentioning that if any other Australian team came over he hoped that the New Zealand brigades would honor them in the same way as they had the present team. While in Dunedin the Chiltern team would be taken to the Rosiyn Woollen Mills and the Government Railway Workshops. Lieutenant M'lntyre (Chiltern), Ex-president Martin (Gore), and Captain Johnston (Bluff) responded. Expresident Martin was warmly applauded when he protested against the remarks of a certain official in the North Island in referring to the late demonstration as a huge picnic, etc. The Chairman proposed " The Mayor and City Council," and in doing so mentioned the need there was for a new station. But for this he supposed they would have to wait until the Council got some of their bigger schemes off.—Cr Scott, in reply, thought that with their present appliances the Dunedin Fire Brigade could show as good results as any other similarly-equipped brigade in the colony. As long as Captain Mitchell was in charge the results would be satisfactory, and he sincerely hoped that the captain's wish for a new station would be fulfilled in a year or two, because there was undoubtedly a need for it.—(Applause.) The appliances were also short of what they ought to be, and the sooner that aefect was remedied the better. He admitted that Australian brigades were ahead of them in working appliances electrically, but he hoped that when they got their electric trams installed the Council would be able to consider this question also. In regard to the brigade's he mentioned their voluntary assistance at the Mornington fire, at which, if they had not helped, there ■would have been a serious loss to property. —Cr M'Donald also spoke. Foreman Carrington proposed " The United Fire Brigades' Association of New Zealand." , He said there were now eightyfour brigades, representing 1,700 firemen, connected with the Association.—Captain Washer, president of the Association, in replying, intimated that the Chiltern Fire Brigade had been" elected life honorary members of the New Zialand Association. —(Applause.) Ex-president Martin said that it was not generally known that there •was in connection with the Association an accident fund. £9OO now stood to its credit, notwithstanding that £IBO had been spent on sick pay last year Captain Washer, president of the United JTire Brigades' Association, then presented Captain Mitchell with a twenty-five years' service gold star, amid much cheering and the singing of ' For he's a jolly good fellow.' The star was inscribed as follow : "Presented to H. Mitchell, Dunedin City V.F.8., 1903."—The recipient, in reply, said that fire brigade work had always been a hobby with him, and it must be so with anyone who would m;ke a success of it. He had his first training in Manhattan (U.S.), and after about three years of brigade work in the States he came out to the colonies, and everywhere he lived he had been a member of a fire brigade.—(Applause.) He would always appreciate the star, and it would give him pleasure to hand it down to his family. As for the Dunedin Brigade, ho would say that while he had the men associated with him that he had at present there could be no fear of the brigade failing in their work.—(Applause.) On behalf of the Dunedin Fire Brigade, Foreman Carrington presented Captain Mitchell with a gold bar for six years' service. —The captain briefly responded. The other toasts were:—"The Suburban Fire Brigades," proposed by Foreman Little, and responded to by Captain Price, Captain Washer, and Lieutenant Carr; " The Ladies," proposed by Fireman Murray, and responded to by Fireman Murphy; and " The Dunedin Brigade," nroposed by Lieutenant M'lntyre, and responded to by Captain Mitchell. Musical items were rendered throughout tho evening, those contributing being Messrs Blanchard, Norman, R. A. Abel, G. Hicks, C. Graham, Hamilton, Hunter, Tanner, the Jones brothers, W. Stevens, and Wilhelmsen. Mr H. Black acted as accompanist. An enjoyable evening was brought to a close by tne-singing of 'Auld lang syne.'