BOYS OF THE OLD BRIGADE

Evening Star, Issue 14963, 24 August 1912, Page 12

BOYS OF THE OLD BRIGADE

TRIBUTES AND REMINISCENCES. One of those pleasant gatherings which serve to bring old comrades together again after a lapse of years, and allow of friendships being renewed and memories refreshed, took place last evening, when some 50 old members ot the Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade met. Time in its ceaseless flight thins the ranks of pioneers, and only six could respond to their old chief's call to demonstrate that they were members of the old brigade. They wore all well up in vears, grey-haired the majority of them, but still hale. Ex-Captain Job Wain presided, and was supported on the right by Cr Burnett and Mr H. H. S. White (Dunedin Fire Board), and on the left by Superintendent Napier, of the City Fire Brigade. Mr C. Gore expressed pleasure at seeing so manv old members of the Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade present, including one of the finest volunteer captains in the Dominion. (Loud applause.) There was no doubt that time had removed a great number of old members, while some again were scattered in different parts of the world, yet there were about 50 still left in the district. Captain Wain was one of the best captains who ever took charge of a brigade —(applause)—and one who would never send a man into a place at a fire where he was not game to go himself. The brigade were practically supported by the Citv Council until the late Mr H. S. Fish (when member for the district) was approached with the object of having a Bill drafted which would require insurance companies to contribute to the maintenance of the brigade, for they had been plainly told by the insurance companies that they would be better off without a fire brigade than with one. Thev used to get a number of things from the council, among which was one pair of boots per annum. (Laughter.) The dutv of proposing the principal toast of the evening—"The Old Dunedin Volunteer Fire Brigade, —devolved upon Cr Burnett, who said the old brigade did great work without any polish, and did it thoroughly. His acquaintance with the brigade came as chairman of the General Committee of the council. As against the sum ot £1,600 originallv voted to the Fire Brigade, thev now paid £3,500, which made a material difference. The present brigade had magnificent appointments ; the old brigade had to do thenwork without these appointments. Dunedin was now a city of stone and brick. It was formerly a city of wooden buildings, and how the old brigade ever prevented it from being swept off the face of the earth, without having a decent water supplv at their service, he could not understand. But it was the men who did it, and the City Council, in their generosity, gave them a pair of boots." Mr Wain arrived before '7l, and he and his men had saved the City time and again, and the lives of men and women. A brave, noble set of men. The toast was enthusiastically honored. . . Mr Wain's reply was mostly reminiscent. Their first trouble, he said, was to get their gear to the fire after they got the alarm, and generally before thev reached the tire they were pretty well exhausted. Then there was trouble over water. In the earliest days there used to be four or five tanks near the present Stock Exchange, filled from a stream running near where Messrs Wright, Stephenson's premises now stand in High street. Later on the council offered a reward of £2 to the one who brought two horses to the station first. Their principal gear in those davs was the old " Pride of Dunedin," and the other day he could sea reel v tell whether Mr Napier was more pleased with " Pride of Dunedin ' or his new motor engine. (Laughter.) The firemen of the olden days weie purely volunteers—tradesmen, mostly—and useful men, as it was often necessary, in order to save a building, to bring the saw and grappling irons into use. Tlie time arrived when the council gave the men a pair of boots, and later on a working uniform every two or three vears. The firemen were undoubtedly men who put their whole hearts into their work. They held two practices a month, and rarely was a man absent from these or a fire except through illness. One watchman they had on Bell Tower, however, was found asleep once or twice, and in order to remedy this defect he was instructed to call the hours, which had the desired effect. As showing the gratitude of the ' public, the brigade were toiling up Rattray street once to a fire, and some youths were asked to lend a hand, but they promptly declined in character- ! istic larrikin fashion. He thanked those present for drinking the toast so heartily. ' . I In responding to the toast of The Dunedin Fire Board," Mr White said that he had no doubt, from what he had seen, that Dunediii had a fire ! station second to none in the Dominion. At the present time he did not think the Government, in contributing £2OO I a year to the board, were contributing a reasonable sum. (Hear, hear.) In concluding, he took the opportunity of expressing the opinion that in their i new superintendent they had a man capable of filling his position in a manner which would reflect credit not , only on himself but on the Dunedin j Fire Brigade as a whole. (Loud apnln,*«"s V

The -Superintendent replied to the toast* of "The Dunedin City Brigade. He said he felt rather an interloper, as he had not been-long enough here for them to know much about him. He could assure them lie had seen a good number of fire stations in his time, but. he was satisfied that here we had as good a one as anyone could wish for. How the old brigade had done their work with the plant at their disposal was a puzzle to him. If he had a team like them and had their amalgamated experience he would take London. (Laughter and applause.) But he now had as fine a team as he wished to have. (Applause.) When he left Adelaide he thought he had loft the best team he would ever have, but here he found one equally as good. When they considered the value of the property in Dunedin was something like £13,000,000, the £6,000 for maintenance was not excessive. There were some most appalling risks in the City, and he considered Dunedin was getting her protection very cheaply indeed. Other toist> honored were "Parliament of ?Cew Zealand," " Mayor and Council," " Fire Brigades' Association." "Suburban Fire Brigades," "Old Brother Firemen,", and " Visitors." An excellent musical programme was provided. The arrangements were admirable, 31r C. Williams (secretary), Mr J. Low (M.C.), and a number of assistants taking care that the wants of everybody were attended to. Mr J. C. Kroon was caterer. Amongst the ex-members present were Messrs H. Wright (Johannesburg), W.Sinclair (Calcutta), A. Mathie (Wanganui), and Captain Sinclair (Waimate).