Feilding Fire Board

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 7032, 16 December 1932, Page 3

Feilding Fire Board

QUARTERLY MEETING. Tlio quarterly meeting of the Fcilding Fire Board was held yesterday, Mr. W. E. Carthew presiding. There were also present: Messrs. W. A. Barton, L>. b. N. McCartney, V. E. .Smith and E. Fair. Superintendent’s Report. Superintendent O. O. Shortt reported as follows: —The brigade has received three calls during the quarter. One to a shop in Denbigh square, one to a washhouse in Bowen street, and one chimney lire. Value of property on which tires have occurred: £5lO, insurance on buildings £2OO, total insuiance £IOO. Damage by tire to buildings, £1 10s. Damage to contents, nil. Total lire loss for the quarter, £1 10s. The present strength of the brigade is 20 men and two' officers. There are four men doing station duty, G. Backer, B. Thompson, S. Menzies and L. Trass. There have been nine musters and the attendance and discipline at all musters has been good. I have to report that the motors ana general plant arc in good order. The fence at the back of the station has been renewed as instructed, and the two bedrooms in the cottage have been papered. The board’s cup was won this year by Fireman A. Alsop and the Newman Cup by Fireman Trieklebank. Varied drills and tests have been carried out during the quarter and the work of the men has been very satisfactory and a good water pressure shown on each occasion. I have been in touch with the management of Borthwick’s works at Aorangi and have to report that in my opinion the water supply is quite good and the stand pipes have been made inter-changeable w»th our couplings, and with the existing lire-iighting appliances and the Dennis pump, 1 feel that if an outbreak should occur it could be handled quite well. If the board comes to an arrangement with the comuany I would suggest that the works purchase at least 500 feet of 21inch Camel canvas hose so that in the event of a call it would not be too great a strain on our stock of hose. I wish to report that Mr. Gaskin is carrying out his duties in his usual competent manner. In conclusion, I wish again to thank you, gentlemen, for your kind consideration of all matters for the welfare of the brigade. In connection with the Fire Brigades Amendment Bill, Mr. Parton offered the ooinion that it was unreasonable to require that lire engines pay heavy traffic license fees. The vehicles were little used and hardly ever on the road and he could not see the justice of placing them in the samo category as a motor truck on the road daily'. On the question of line engine depreciation, the speaker did not consider it necessary to create a depreciation fund as wear and tear was so slight. The board received the Bill without further comment. Arising out of correspondence from the Christchuich Fire Board regarding the arrangements it made for protcctmg property outside the lire district and with regard to the superintendent’s report concerning the Feilding Freezing Works, the board agreed to extend the Feilding fire district to include the freezing works, provided the proprietors agreed to pay an annual retaining fee plus a charge for tho services of the brigade in> the event of a lire occurring at the works. An exchange of seasonal greetings concluded the business