AUCKLAND FIRE BRIGADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12055, 27 August 1902, Page 3

AUCKLAND FIRE BRIGADE.

THE NEW STATION.

OPENING CEREMONY.

FIRE INSURANCE RATES;

The new City Fire Brigade Station in Pittstreet was taken over from the contractor and formally opened yesterday afternoon by the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. Alfred Kidd) on behalf of the City Council and citizens. Among those present at the invitation of the Mayor were: Messrs. F. E. Banme, Jno. MoLeod, J. H. Hannan, J. Patterson, J. Court, P;:Dignan, H.' T. Garratt, J. Stick! bury, C. Grey, J. W. Hewson, and Arthur Rosser (members, of the City Council); Mr. 11. W. Wilson (town, clerk), Mr. < Wrigg (city engineer); Mr. R. A. Carr (chairman), Mr. J. H. Upton (director), and Mr. .Tames Kirker (general manager), of the South British Insurance Company; Mr. G. N. Pierce (New Zealand Insurance Company), Mr. D. Craig (general manager) being unavoidably absent; Mr. Williams (National Insurance Company), and Mr. Ronayno (North Queensland Insurance Company), Messrs. H. L.Wade and G. Goldsbro' (architects), G. Baildon (builder), T. Ussher, J. Savage, and W. Brinsden. ■'.-■':. . - i

After the guests had been shown over the building and satisfied themselves that it is up-to-date in every respect, they were assembled in the social-room, where refreshments were handed round. • ''

The Mayor proposed " Success to the Auckland Fire Brigade." He alluded to the assistance rendered to the Auckland City Council in fire brigade matters by. Superintendent Hugo, of the Wellington Fire Brigade, and thanked Mr. Hugo for his advice and assistance and tho Wellington City Council for allowing their superintendent to > come \ to Auckland.' Mr. Kidd also referred in high terms to the qualifications of Superintendent AYoolley, who is now in charge of the Auckland brigade. He pointed out that the citizens had sanctioned an expenditure of £15,000 on fire brigade matters. The new building had cost £5800, and when the alarms were installed and the whole scheme, complete he thought the expenditure would be little short of the £15,000 sanctioned, and the annual cost would be £2700. There was one question they might touch upon on such an occasion, yet he hardly liked to do so at the present juncture, because it was . simply a little gathering for the purpose of taking over the building. They were not yet per-, feet in fire brigade matters, v They had plant on its way to Auckland, and the electrio alarms would be installed, by ,the Government when the material arrived from Sydney. Alien every tiling was completed "he intended inviting everybody interested in fire insurance, and possibly he would then have something to say on a matter which at present lie would not do more than indicate. The citizens had responded nobly to the call that the fire , brigade should be made thoroughly satisfactory in every way, and whcn_ the insurance companies saw- that the city had done everything that a place of its size could do, then the citizens should receive some benefits at the hands of the insurance companies in the shape of reduced premiums. He did not think this was the time to bring that matter forward; he was only indicating that when the whole system was complete, when they could show that the fire brigade was perfect and the water supply perfect, and how quiokly they* could put out fires, then ho felt they would only have to put the matter before the insurance companies, and the citizens would derive a benefit from their expenditure in the shape of reduced insurance rates. . As 'to the question of State fire insurance, ho thought they should consider well before they went in for that, because no State could insure.the enormous risks there are against fire unless s it first established a fund for that special purposed He was ? treading ;on « dangerous ground, and he would only say further that in his opinion, when State fire insurance was brought forward, it should be in such a way that the State, the insurance companies, and tho City Corporation should take over the fire brigade and work it on a basis beneficial to all concerned. The time would come for that, but at present the City Council was taking over the building, and he regarded it as an event in tho history of Auckland which they . had all hoped torwitness and were all delighted to see accomplished. Superintendent Woolley, in responding on behalf of the brigade, said with the appliances ordered .the Auckland* brisrade would compare in equipment with any in Australia, and rightly so, for". Auckland 'had some big risks; if their buildings were not as high as those in Australia, the area of the warehouse floors was as great. In New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland the Governments, • insurance companies, and city corporations each contributed one-third of the cost of the brigades, and in South Australia the Government paid a third, ' the insurance companies four-ninths, and the corporations two- 1 ninths. Here the Government seemed to regard supporting fire brigades as taxing the country for the benefit of the towns, but they forgot that Auckland was a great distributing centre,,and that the fire brigade had to protect the goods, export and import, constantly warehoused there. The Government of New Zealand even charged for the installation of the .fire alarms, as. if it had been for a company working for profit. Mr. J. H. Upton, as an ex-Mayor of the city, was asked to say a few words. • He congratulated the City Council and the city en the new departure, but said he had the greatest respect for the old brigades, who did the best they could with the appliances supplied to them. He mentioned that recently he had a fire in his house, he rang up the brigade, and, though his house was a: mile and three-quarters away, Mr. Woolley and the brigade were there in 12 . minutes. On the matter referred to by Mr. Woolley, |he said theoretically the insurance companies should not contribute a. ponny toj wards the cost of the brigade, as if they did [ they must take it out of the public somehow or other, but practically they must do it, and I practically the Government must do it, too. Why should the Government have enormous buildings in a city without paying for their protection? It was quite right that the Government, the insurance companies, and the city should each pay their share, and lie hoped it would he so in New Zealand in the future. '■"" ■ '■'■■■-;' '■

Mr. James Kirker was asked to speak on behalf of the insurance companies. He said they had a commodious building, a splendid fire brigade staff, and a first-class superintendent,: but a great deal had yet to be done before the brigade and equipment were in a thoroughly efficient state. He was glad to hear that the Mayor recognised that to be the position. The hope had been expressed that when the system was complete the public would . receive some benefit in tho way of reduced premiums. He was not in a position to say at present whether, they would or whether they would not. ' All lie could say was that the chances were that when the arrangements were complete, the citizens would'be benefited. * : > "

Air. Goldsbro', on behalf of Mr. Wade and himself, the .'architects, said a" few words, and Mr. Baildon, the builder, also returned thanks. • ~■., ,j=

Mr. F. E. Eaume, on the call of the Mayor, spoke on behalf of the City Council.. He •said he was sorry Mr. Kirker had.not seen his way to be more definite in regard to the benefits the citizens 'would receive from the expenditure of this money. He was sure the citizens looked for that benefit, not as a matter of grace, but as a matter ot right. The insurance companies would have to recognise that the expenditure of the money on the fire brigade must be met by some concession on the part of the companies. - In respect "to the contributions towards the cost of the brigade, the City Council had for some time past endeavoured to get the "Government to look on the matter in a proper light, and in that respect also he felt satisfied the.' wi.she3 of the citizens would have to be attended to by tho Government. He was sure whenever Superintendent Woolley required anything to make the firo brigade thoroughly up-to-date he would find a ready response from the City Council. He was satisfied the reorganisation of the firo brigade would be a material source of gaiu to the city, to, the citizens, and even to the insurance companies. '• ■.-.'■;.

Mr. M. Keesing, as a representative of the old volunteer brigade, was also asked to speak. Mr. J. H. Upton proposed the health of the Mayor and City Council of Auckland, and congratulated Mr. Kidd on having marked his term of office by building the new fire brigade station and thoroughly equipping the lire brigade. - ■ • The Mayor returned thanks, and the guests then returned to the ground floor, where Superintendent Woolley gave an ex-, hibition of the brigade turning our, 011 an alarm of fire. The alarm was given, the stable l doors opened, the horses took up their-po-sitions in the shaft* of the hose reel, the men rushed to their posts, and the apparatus, properly manned, was in the street in 12 seconds. The exhibition was greeted with loud applause. '. .