FIRE FIGHTERS’ CONFERENCE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21916, 10 January 1946, Page 6

FIRE FIGHTERS’ CONFERENCE

MARCH FIXTURE BILLETING NEEDS INFLUX OF VISITORS DEMONSTRATION PLANS “This conference and demonstration, which will bring at least 500 visitors to Gisborne, represents the best opportunity we have had to date for publicising the district and its many attractions. It is gratifying in the extreme to see the enthusiasm displayed by many business people and private individuals in Hie preparations for the congress, and so far as local arrangements are concerned it is possible now to forecast an outstanding success,” said Mr. 11. 11. De Costa, presiding on Tuesday night at a meeting of the general executive set up to organise for the annual conference and demonstration of the United Fire Brigades’ Association, to be held in March.

It was reported to the meeting that finance for the staging of the conference and demonstration was already almost assured business people having made substantial contributions to a prize fund for an art union from which the bulk of the money required would bo available. Finance Presents No Problem It is estimated that £6OO will be required for this purpose, and the finance committee is confident that the proceeds of the art union, supplemented by subscriptions, will be more than adequate. It was pointed out that accomodation for the visitors, comprising about 400 delegates and 100 members of their families, will constitute the major problem for the executive. Hotels arc booked almost to capacity for March, and it will be necessary to secure private accomodation for the visitors, who. of course, will be prepared to pay for lodgings and board. The executive agreed that the only course open was to invite the co-opera-tion of the townspeople who will be prepared to accept as paying guests the delegates and other visitors to the congress.

The dates of the conference are from March 6 to 14, and the executive issued an urgent appeal to all who may be able to assist to make early contact with either the chairman, Mr. H. A. Dear, or the secretary, Mr. C. Chamberlain, of the billeting committee. It is essential that arrangements for accomodating the visitors be completed at an early date, as the availability of billets will largely determine the representation of other districts in Gisborne. Minister a Likely Visitor Delegates will assemble in Gisborne on March 6, and the conference will be opened on the morning of Thursday March 7. at the social hall of the Cosmopolitan Club. It is expected that the Minister of

Internal Affairs, Mr. W. E. Parry, will visit Gisborne for the opening of the fixture, and will be accompanied by Mr. ■T. W. Heenan, Under-Secretary for Internal Affairs. The inspector of fire brigades. Mr. R. Girling-Butcher, and prominent representatives of the Fire Underwriters’ Association also will be in attendance.

The fact that this is the first national conference of the United Fire Brigades’ Association since 1942 ensures that the attendance of delegates will be thoroughly representative, providing the necesary accommodation can be offered.

The deliberations on U.F.B.A. business will occupy two days, with the Saturday morning given over to a cleaning-lip process and final preparations for the demonstration, which will commence on Monday, March 11, at the Childers Road Reserve. The demonstration will continue for three days, concluding on Wednesday, March 13, and on the following day most of the delegates will return to their home districts. Committee Personnel Entertainment of the guests will be the special concern of a committee headed by Mr. W. Newcombe, with Mr. G. R. Ardern as secretary. This committee will have a ladies’ branch which will undertake the entertainment of delegates’ wives and daughters during the week of the conference and demonstration.

Other committees already set up and working at pressure are handling finance, publicity, and ground arrangements.

The Mayor is the permanent chairman of the general executive, with Mr. B. S. Br.ee as secretary, and the chairman and secretaries respectively of the other committees are: Finance, Messrs. F. R. Ball and T. A. N. Corson; publicity, Messrs. P. W. Bushnell and .1. H. Walker; and grounds, Messrs. W. M. Jenkins and B. S. Bree.

In the report received from the grounds committee, it was stated that arrangements were complete for providing the special equipment necessary for the demonstration at the Childers Road Reserve, and that adequate water for the fixture would be assured. The entertainment committee reported that offers of entertainment for groups of delegates and other visitors were being received in gratifying numbers, and that private residents were showing a commendable desire to assist the organisation in various ways. Other committees reported satisfactorily on the progress of their respective work. Finalising Congress Schedule It was further advised that Mr. J. W. Kane, superintendent of the Gisborne Fire Brigade, will attend an executive meeting of the United Fire Brigades’ Association in Wellington next Tuesday, when the schedule for the demonstration will be completed and entries invited. Mr. Kane was authorised to report to the Wellington meeting on the arrangements made in Gisborne for the reception and entertainment of delegates and other visitors, and to consult with the executive on a number of matters in respect of the business conference Those present at last night’s meeting , were Messrs H. H. De Costa, actingchairman, J. W. Kane, C. Blackburn, D. Ferguson, F R. Ball, T. A. N. Corson. H. R Kendon, H. A. Dear, G. W. Ardern, E. T. Chrisp, P. W. Bushnell, J. R. Moir. T. Smale, R. G. Clare, T. Martin, W. Newcombe, A. Allan, W. M. Jenkins, A. Goodwin, and J. Collett. Apologies for absence were received from the Mayor, Mr. N. H. Bull, and Messrs. C. Chamberlain, L. Miles, E. R. Beckett and M. W. Howe.