FIRE BRIGADES CONFERENCE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 5 March 1912, Page 2

FIRE BRIGADES CONFERENCE

I. ~_... OPENS.AT ROTORUA. . (United Press Association.) ROTORUA, Yesterday. The. 53rd annual conference of the United Fire Brigade Association is being held here. Yesterday a church .pa--rade was held, and business commenced this morning. Mr Boyes (Nelson) presided, and there were 114 delegates pro-, '.sent. . The president, in his opening ad"dress, paid a tribute to the last preThe -fact that ■ nothing of note in fire light- ; ha.",] occurred during the- year showed that they were getting into touch with their work. As firemen they could not help feeling that they owed a debt of gratitude to the CSovernment for assistances afforded' the fire brigades. So long as they stood shoulder to shoulder, as volunteers, for the protection of life and property, they would afford an object lesson 'to labour unions in not seeking a selfish object, but the welfare of their fellows. Twenty-one gold stars were earned last year. A sad feature about the conference was the absence of Mr J. G. (iibbcrd, builder of the Association, who wrote and said he regretted that'illness prevented his attending- Assets -'.over liabilities had' increased from £7BO 12s 8d to £BO9 8s lid. -The item on the balance-sheet "brigade subscriptions in arrears," should not exist ; but -the amount now was double that of last year. ' ... The following, became affiliated with the- Association: Cromwell. Taumarunm, a,id Railway. The Hawera fird police have disbanded. The total of 117 brigades are now on the roll. 1 he accident assurance branch is in a satisfactory condition, being in credit to the extent, of. J31723. The balance sheet showed a- balance of £750 8s 3dThe'conference- carried a remit from : Tnvereargill : That the Association take steps to secure exemption from compulsory military training of all firemen, whether permanent or volunteer. Captain Hugo, in his address to the conference, said that the Mackay, Logan and Co: fire at Auckland had brought

up the loss by fire risk to the average of th« previous five or six years. Trie question of the expansion of fire, as ailecting tlie safety of buildings; should ;he sen-. ■ously v discussed. He emphatlcajly,., denied* the statement made bv Australian firemen that tlie effect of Slja-te ?ns««"?-ee had been an increase in : fire waste. _ llie provision in the Act-requiring one-thhd of the ratepayers to vote on a..proposal for the constitution of. a h™ district acquired amendment. He approved of tho .suggestion that a school drill should bo carried out, but'a general scheme should 1,„ adopted. The danger of tS, were eel .Oaptam oufl l£E 2^'. s od by Continental brigades, Ucal examinations were enforced.