ELTHAM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVII, 24 May 1910, Page 5

ELTHAM.

FIRE BRIGADE ENQUIRY.

(From Our Own Corres=r>ondent %

A full meeting of the Eltham Borough Council was held on Monday night to hold an enquiry into a series of charges made by Cr Cooper regarding misuse of the brigade's property. Briefly, Cr Cooper's charges were: "Neglect to look after the hose. That the brigade acted wrongly in having wet practices on the rough metal street, and hose was often put away in a damp condition, and when being dried was often left on the tower for weeks at a time blowing about and chafing on its sharp edges." The Council room was crowded with, interested spectators. In supporting his charges, Cr Cooper stated that 1400 feet of hose had been supplied the brigade in 1904 and 1905, and 550 feet had been supplied since 1905.. Of this amount 1400 feet was now absolutely useless, and of the balance only 300 feet was in good order. He read letters from the captains of the Wanganui. Carterton, Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington and Palmer ston North brigades. All of these officers considered that a fair life for a fair quality hose should be from four to 10 years. The witnesses examined were Messrs Hansen (Eltham), Grubb (Stratford Fire Brigade 1 !, McAneny (Hawera Fire Brisade), Murray, Tayler, Clark (of the Eltham Brigade), C. A. Wilkinson, treasurer of the brigade, Captain Nuttall, _ the general tenor of the evidence being that there had been no waste, and that the hose was in "s trood condition as could be expected for the time it been jn use. The decision arrived f>t was as follows: — "That having heard the evidence, the Council is of opinion that Cr Cooper's charges have not been sustained ; that there has been no misuse of the Council's property by the brigade; that the Council completely exonerates Captain Nuttall, and has every confidence in him ps captain of the Elthnm Fire Brigade." The Council rose at 11.30 p.m.