FIRE BRIGADES BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 12661, 15 September 1904, Page 6

FIRE BRIGADES BILL.

SOME NEW PROPOSALS. SYSTEM OP PROVINCIAL CONTROL. [BY telegraph.— COKRESI-ONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. The Fire Brigades Bill was reported to the House to-day by the Fire Brigades Committee. The Bill has been considerably altered since the committee tool: it in hand. The definition of a fire district is struck out, and it is proposed that there shall be a fire board for each provincial district in the colony, one member to be appointed by the Governor, three by the insurance companies, and three by the local authorities in the province. The method of appointing the insurance companies' representatives is unaltered. The representatives of the local authorities are to be appointed, one by the metropolitan authority, such as the Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedia City Councils, and two by the remaining local authorities in the province. The board is to be empowered to pay the travelling expense?, of members. The clauses dealing with the powers and duties of the board are altered to provide that the board may establish tire brigades in such parts of the provincial district as it thinks fit, appoint superintendents and deputy-superintendents, enrol volunteer brigades, and generally control the whole of I the brigades within the province. There is a new clause to give all brigades free use of water and access to water pipes belonging to local authorities. The proposals as to meeting the cost of the brigades are practically the same as in the original Billone-halt by the insurance companies and one-half by the local authorities in the province, the amount payable by each insurance company, and each local authority to be determined by the board. The local authorities may pay their contributions out of their general rates, or may levy a separate rate on all Government or other property within their districts. The powers which the original Bill would have given to fire boards to borrow money are struck out. The clause handing over existing fire brigade equipments to the fire boards is also struck cut, and in its place there is a clause I setting out that every existing brigade, and i all lauds and buildings occupied by brigades 1 shall, subject to any charge or encumbrance I thereon, be vested in the board in trust, provided that the board shall pay to any local ! authority or person, owners of such land or I building* a rental of 4 per cent, per annum an the capital value, and provided further that should there be any loan outstanding ' on any such land or buildings, the amount of,the loan shall be deducted when compiling the capital value, and the interest and the rate of percentage at which the money I was borrowed added to the annual revenue. As to plants and appliances, it is provided that these are to be taken over by the board . at a price to be agreed upon between the board and the local authority, and if they fail to agree then the price is to be fixed > by arbitration, as provided in the Aibitrai tion Act of 1890. Payment of the price ; of the plant and appliances may be spread over any period not exceeding 10 years, at 5 per cent, interest. There are new clauses added to the Bill, providing that it shall be unlawful to ruse a building for public meetings, pubic amusements, or for public worship, unless provided with fire escapes to the satisfaction of the superintendent of fire brigades. Another new clause gives the Governor power to appoint an inspector of fire brigades. The committee took a mass of evidence on the Bill. The witnesses were representatives of municipalities' fire brigades and the Underwriters' Association. They were unanimous in the opinion that the Government should pay a thud of the cost of the brigades. The Mayor of Christchurch described the rating of Government property as only a sop. Strong exception was also taken to the proposal to give the Government the right to appoint a representative on tire fire board without contributing to the oost. Mr. Parr stated that the constitution of the boards really gave the Government control, as the insurance representatives and the representatives of local authorities might disagree, in which case the Government representative would hold the balance of power. As the Government had now gone into the insurance business he feared that its vote would go with the insurance companies.