FIRE BOARD

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 120, 19 April 1940, Page 5

FIRE BOARD

REPORT FOR YIiAR. SMALL LOSS FROM OUTBREAKS. The annual meeting of the Feildiny Fire Board was held yesterday, tin chairman (Mr W. E. Oarthew) presiding. Also present were Messrs V. M. Edgar, Iv. A. Hutton, V. E. Smith, A. 0. McCorkindalc, and the secretary (Mr C H. Tate), and the superintendent of the brigade (Mr 0. Sporle). On the motion of Air Edgar, Mr Cartliow was re-elected as chairman for the ensuing year unopposed. Mr Carthew briefly returned thanks. The secretary, replying to a question by Mr Smith regarding the instantaneous epuplings for the brigade service, said that they had been ordered, but had not arrived. Mr Tate was requested to write to the firm concerned seeking information as to when the order would be fulfilled. Mr Edgar mentioned that there was little prospect of getting supplies of new hose from England, and urged that the supply be conserved. Mr Sporle stated that the brigade would not bo in need of new hose for .some time to come. The matter had been discussed at the Dominion conference of brigades, and it bad been stated that the position ;was easier now as a result of there being an expert hose repairer in New Zealand. In considering the .annual report of the superintendent, Mr Smith made reference to the small fire loss of £63 2s 6d on buildings and £3 19s on contents. Ho said it was very gratifying and reflected the efficiency of the superintendent and the members of the brigade. The total value of the buildings involved had been £9500, and therefore that was the amount that had to be taken into the comparison when considering the slight loss. He' moved that. Mr Sporle and the brigade be congratulated upon their excellent w-ork during the year; and this was done. The chairman also referred to the fires which had occurred, stating that two outbreaks might have had serious consequences bad they not been quicklysuppressed. He mentioned that in the case of one fire the siren could not be used to raise the alarm as the electric power had been off. The old firebell had to be resorted to, and ho pointed out the value of maintaining it for emergen cv work. The building up of a capital expenditure account was urged by Mr Edgar, who referred to tlie fact that w itli the pay-ment of £IOO the board s redemption loan w-ould be paid off. He moved that £SO be paid into a sinking fund this year as a start in the raising of a fund out of which capital expenditure could be made.'The time might arise when the brigade would require new plant. Next vear he hoped the board would be able to pay- £IOO into the fund. It was difficult to raise money by loan in these times, and it was a good policy to create a reserve. Mr Hutton endorsed the remarks of the previous speaker and added that the board had not done anything similar to the proposal for a number of years. The £SO would be like a savings bank and bear interest. The motion was carried. The contributions of the Feilding Borough Council and the insurance companies for the year would be unchanged at £350, it was stated. That full particulars of the'cost of laying new mains at the Feilding Agricultural High School to provide additional fire fighting facilities had been supplied was reported by Mr Sporle.