HASTINGS FIRE BOARD.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 164, 28 June 1911, Page 3

HASTINGS FIRE BOARD.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual and quarterly meeting of the Hastings Fire Board was held in the Council Chambers yesterday afternoon. Present: Mr. J. A. Miller (chairman), Messrs. T. B. Ching, J. Mallard, D. O’Reilly, T. Styles, and H. Marshall. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN. On the motion of Messrs. Mallard and Marshall, Mr. T. Styles was elected chairman for the ensuing year. Mr. Styles then took the chair.

Mt. Miller congratulated Mr. Styles on his unanimous election to the position, and expressed the hope that he would receive the same co-operation and courtesy as had been extended to himself durjpg his term of office. Mr. Styles returned thanks for the honour conferred on him. In accepting the position he had no desire of casting any reflection on his Worship the Mayor. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the retiring members, Messrs. J. A. Miller and A. A. George, for their past services, on the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr. Mallard. Mr. Mallard referred to the time and trouble the late chairman had spent in attending to the board’s business. Mr. George had been acquainted with fire matters for a period of 45 years, and his assistance to the board had been invaluable. He (the speaker) very much regretted that Mr. George would no longer be a member of the board.

Messrs. Miller and George then retired from-the meeting. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT. The retiring chairman (Mr. J. A. Miller) reported as follows : — In bringing before you to-day the balance-sheet of the Hastings Fire Board, I wish to congrafulate you on the excellent position the board is in.

The Fire Board was inaugurated i two years ago and in consequence ! had to enter and conduct a business entirely new to us. Thanks to the able assistance of Mr. Millard (an authority on Fire Board matters) and goodwill of the members, we have been able to overcome all initial difficulties and have business running in a smooth and equitable manner. The plant is now in excellent order, being fully equipped, and I jam confident that the firemen are well satisfied with their treatment under the board.

Finance.—The first • year’s income of £7OB/11/7 exceeded our expenditure by £l3B/1/6 leaving us this amount to carry forward as credit balance.- The last year’s income amounted to £756/8/7 and general working expenses, new hose, ladders, uniforms, etc., amounted to £694/0/6, leaving a further credit-balance of £62/8/1, a total for two years of £2OO/9/7.

Your board consided that the time had arrived when we should have an up-to-date fire station, and, were extremely lucky in purchasing a splendid site in Market street at a low price, especially considering the position. The cost including shares of rates, etc., £751/19/2, we have paid for this by getting temporary overdraft from the Bank, and when accounts to be passed for payment to-day are paid we will be indebted to the Bank £ll7 16-.

I The Board found that they would ; require £3OOO for purchase of land, j erection of building, furniture, etc., I but owing to defects in the Act, I that though provision was made ; for borrowing money there was no special rating clause, and consequently we could not get the money [from Government Departments. This has caused considerable delay. I am pleased to say that we haye made favourable arrangements with the Hastings Building Society for the money required. The mortgage has been signed and now waits, formal consent of the Minister. By getting the money from the Hastings Building Society, the Board can. when the Act is amended (and wc have taken steps to have this done) obtain money at a cheaper rate. There will be an increase >n i the levies this year, but for th>s you will have this splendid asset of land and fire brigade station which will be a credit to our progressive town and we will have as up-to-date premises for the brigade as any town of our size.

I cannot close this report without expressing my thanks to the members of the board for their courtesy to myself and their attention to affairs of the board, especially would I like to thank Mr. A. A. George whose knowledge of fire brigade matters has been of great service to us. I wish to thank the officers and members of the fire brigade and fire police for the way in which they have carried out thei <• duties and to congratulate them on their increased keenness and efficiency.—Report adopted.

INSPECTOR HUGO’S REPORT. Mr. T. T. Hugo. Inspector of Fire Brigades reported as follows: —On Monday. March 20th. I held an inspection of the Hastings Fire Brigade and Fire Police. Of the brigade there were present the superintendent, deputy-superintendent, 22 firemen and three messengers, or 27 out of a total strength of 30 on the roll. Of the three absent, one was on sick leave, one j leave and one out of the district. ’ Of the fire police there were pre- i sent the captain, lieutenant and 18 constables, or 20 out of a total ’ strength of 21, the one absent be- i ing on sick leave. The attendance j of both brigade and fire police was ! satisfactory. A SERIOUS STATE OF AFFAIRS I At 8.12 p.m. I instructed the | superintendent to get the fire en- [ gine to work from the sump at the | intersection of Heretaunga street I and Karamu road, the pressure gauge on the engine indicated 1001 b of steam at 8.22 p.m.. but it was | not until 8.30.50. or 19 minutes ■ from the time of call that sufficient water had backed up to enable the engine to get to work. I then directed the superintend*ent to move the engine to the sump ; at the intersection of Heretaunga ! and Warren streets. The trap door was lowered and the engine ready for work at 8.41. but it was 9.3.40, an interval of nearly 23 minutes before one delivery could be got to ! work and even then sufficient water had not gathered to cover the sue tion strainer, and as a consequence the resulting jet was a mixture of air and water. Presumably it would have required some minutes longer to obtain an efficient stream, but not wishing to play any more of this water on the street than wasabsolutely necessary. I did not carry j the experiment any mrther. Seeing that once a fire gets beyond the limited capacity of the chemical engine these sumps have got to be relied upon to supply the

necessary water, it iinist be apparent to your board that the above j statement reveals a most serious state of affairs. 1 understand it is possible to always keep a certain : amount- of water in the sewers, and j I would suggest that arrangements. should be made to have this matter j attended to at once, coupled with a ; reliable supervision. In connec-! turn with this subject I would direct | your attention to my report dated ! October 12. 1909. that portion head- J ed “Means for Extinguishing Fires.” j

ST ATI'S OF FlKfc POLICE. • It is necessary that your board! should make by-laws dealing with | the status of the Fire Police, etc..: hut this and other matters was thej subject of conversation between [ : your chairman anti myself during my visit to Hastings, and doubtless he has already laid them be- j fore you. | EFFICIENCY OF THE MEN. | Such work as the brigade was! personally called upon to perform • was carried out in satisfactory manner. This remark also applies to the Fire Police, with the addition that a considerable improvement is manifest in their at-; tendance and work when compared with previous inspections. —Received, a copy of that portion of the report dealing with water supply to be forwarded to the Hastings Borough Council, asking them to co-operate with the Fire Board to prevent a disaster. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT. (Already published.) New Uniforms. —To be procured. New Hose. —To be provided for in the estimates. Report on Public Buildings. -To be forwarded to the Hastings Borough Council suggesting that if the necessary alterations are not | carried out. the licenses should be j withdrawn. Re Princess Theatre. —Mr. MalI lard said that the Superintendent’s report, was final, hut he could not understand such a report on the Princess Theatre coming from the Superintendent of a Fire Board. The local members of the Board should inspect the building themselves. He (the speaker) and Messrs. Marshall and Ching had found time to do so prior to the meeting. He wished to draw special attention to the doors leading to the two dressing rooms and the urinal, and the stage enj trance. He (the speaker) was not | satisfied with the report. They could not coerce the superintendent. —It was decided that the local members of the Board should visit the building. Re King’s Theatre. -Copy to be 1 sent to proprietors. i Ordering of materials. —It was fdecided that in future no accounts should be recognised unless signed by the Superintendent and secretarv of the Board. ' (N)RRESPONDENCE. ! Messrs. George and Styles’ re- | port on the support of Fire Police I by Fire Boards and the attendance

of firemen at theatrical performances was adopted, and a resolution was passed expressing appreciation of the committees efforts in compiling same. Mr. Mallard said that borough councils should make it a condition when granting licenses for places of amusement that one or two firemen should be present at all performances. The Minister for Internal Affairs approved of the mortgage from the Board to the Hastings Building Society for a loan of £3OOO for purchase of a site and the erection o? fire station. —Received. The meeting then adjourned till 7.30 p.m. When the meeting resumed Superintendent Brausch was in attendance. Chief Engineer Leipst at;d Second Engineer List applied for an increased salary.—Declined, salaries to remain as at present (£2O and £lO respectively). QUESTION OF FINANCE. In accordance with notice of motion, Mr. T. B. Ching moved: “That owing to the difficulty this and other Fire Boards have experienced in raising loan money, the secretary of the Board be instructed to write to the various Boards throughout New Zealand soliciting their support with a view to taking united action in approaching the Minister for Internal Affairs for an amendment of the present Act. so as to enable Fire Boards to borrow money at reasonable rates of interest from the Government under the Loans to Local Bodies Act.” Seconded by Mr. Mallard and carried.

THE FIRE POLICE. The Hastings Fire Police applied for an advance of £2B towards their uniform fund. Regarding the subsidy to the Fire Police, Superintendent Brausch, in reply to a question by Mr. Mallard, said that the Fire Police were useful to the Brigade to a certain extent, and were also useful to the citizens in the removing of and protecting furniture ami other property at fires. There was no friction between the Brigade and the Fire Police, whose officers always Carried out his orders promptly.

To Mr. Marshall. —The Police did not remove furniture until they got his instructions. They used to act on their own initiative under their former captain, but since Captain Hawkes took office discipline was better, and the corps was more up-to-date/ To the Chairman.—The Fire Police were useful to the Brigade in keeping back the public at fires, and if he (the superintendent) w r as short of men. the constables lent their assistance. The chairman recommended assisting the corps. At big fires they would easily e.arn the additional money asked for. It was decided to grant the usual subsidy of £2O, to be payable quarterly.

ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £136/10/5 were passed for payment. The estimates for the ensuing year were discussed, but were not available for publication at present. The meeting then adjourned.