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Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IX, Issue 80, 19 March 1919, Page 4

A good deal of interest was taken in the civil action Macfarlane v. Brown and Logan, which was concluded in the Supreme Court, Napier, yesterday. The proceedings throughout were listened to by a fairly large number of the public, including a moderate sprinkling of the fair sex. Complaints are being made by the Hastings Fire Brigade, and others, regarding the fact that Hastings is without a fire adjuster and, in the case of fires in the borough, the fire adjuster has to be sent for to Napier leaving salvaged property to be held by the Fire Brigade until his arrival, at a cost of 1,6 an hour for each fireman in charge. Sometimes the Napier adjuster might be absent, in Wairoa, for instance, and the delay in his arrival would be much prolonged. It is contended that a town of "the size, population and importance of Hastings, where the majority of the Fire Insurance Companies doing business in New Zealand are represented, is entitled to have a real adjuster, under the Hastings Fire Board, and so save the expense, delay and inconvenience involved in having to depend on the Napier official. The business after fires should be completed with all possible despatch.