FIRE BRIGADE CONFERENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIX, Issue 9993, 23 March 1893, Page 6

FIRE BRIGADE CONFERENCE.

ANNUAL MEETING. [Phb Press Association.] WANGANUI, March 23. The fourteenth annual meeting of the United Fire Brigades Association was opened this morning at the Borough Council Chambers, Superintendent Hughes (Auckland) presiding. Over fifty delegates from all parts of the Colony were present. The annual report of the Executive was read. The balance-sheet showed receipts £BO6 11s 2d, including balance at last audit £264 5s 8d; expenditure £577 14s sd, leaving a Bank balance of £284 6s 9d. The balance of assets over liabilities is £262 0a 9d, the latter including £l5B 16a, cash balance beld for the Acoident Assurance Society and amount of registration fees and contributions received. Prior to the commencement of proceedings, the delegates were heartily welcomed to Wanganui by the Mayor, Mr J. T. Jackson, who said he hoped the Conference would prove beneficial. The Conference will conclude at midday to-morrow, after which the delegates will be taken for a drive round Kaiwiki, returning via Brunswick iu the evening to a banquet. On Friday morning there will be a river trip at Ens or Korinite, in the steamer Wairere. The following motion, by the Hawera Fire Brigade, was lost—" That in future profits 25 per cent of the net proceeds of all demonstrations held under the auspices of the United Fire Brigades Association shall he paid into the United Fire Brigades Association's account, the same to be devoted towards reducing the annual subscription of Brigades.” A Committee, consisting of ex-President Smith, Captain a Burger, Michel and Hall, Engineer Winter, Treasurer Robinson and Secretary Robins was appointed to take into consideration the whole question of the maintenance cf Brigades. A discussion ensued concerning the proposed rule that should any member of a Brigade, while representing the Association, act so as to bring ridicule or disgrace on it, the executive shall have power to suspend the Brigade to which such member belongs. Eventually an amendment was carried giving the executive power to compel the Brigade to fine or suspend such member, and that iu the event of the Brigade declining it be suspended from all privileges of the Association. It was decided that. the Association'be represented by a delegate- at the English Fire Congress, also at the firemen’s meeting at Chicago- A Benevolent Fund is to be inaugurated. A Committee was appointed to report on the conduct <t' the Gisborne members at the Christchurch banquet. The Fire Brigade Association reassembled at 2 p.m. Ex-President Smith read a paper on ‘'The Maintenance, Control and Management of Bcigtufiv/’ m which ho advocated maintenance by municipal bodies. The paper was ordered to be printed and circulated among the members

of Parliament. The Brigades’ Committee appointed ’to report on the conduct of the Gisborne Brigade found that offensive remarks mads at fihe banquet lest year, and attributed to members of the Gisborne Brigade, were not made by them ; but it also"found that members of the Gisborne team were associated with several members of other brigades in disorderly conduct. The report was adopted unanimously. A motion by the deputy from Bangiora -for payment by brigades of a capitation allowance to establish a fund to pay delegates’ expenses at the Conferences, v?as lost. A motion by Lieutenant Shaw (Gore), for the adoption of a patent spanner for testing joints in competitions, was passed. Ex-President Smith was appointed the Association's delegate at the Chicago Exposition, and Mr London Secretary. Mr Cummins (Wanganui) brought forward an invention by Mr Harwood (Wanganui Brigade) for timing competitions by electricity, and on behalf of the inventor offered to have models submitted to the Executive free of cost. The offer was accepted. It was resolved to register the Association’s seal under the Trade Marks Act. The action of members of the Wellington Brigade, in casting improper reflections on the probity of the Association’s Secretary, was severely commented on by nearly all the delegates, and a Committee was appointed to wait on the Wellington Brigade for an explanation. The Secretary’s action was endorsed by the meeting. Owing to the difficulty that Brigades experienced through nonregistration, it was resolved that the Executive should enquire into the matter of registering the Association under the Friendly Societies Act, and report at the next annual meeting. The debate on the subject of maintenance was concluded to-ni-ht, and the recommendation of the Committee to send a deputation to the conference of municipal delegates in Wellington, to urge it to push forward a Billfor Parliament, was adopted. It was decided not to admit fire police or salvage corps to the privileges of the Accident Insurance Association, Notice of motion for to-morrow was given—" That a Committee be set up to watch the proceedings in connection with legislation on the maintenance of brigades.”