COUNCILLORS AND THE FIRE BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13796, 8 July 1908, Page 11

COUNCILLORS AND THE FIRE BOARD.

Sir, —When one'reads your reports from time to time of the statements made by city ; councillors and the votes they give at Coun- i cil meetings one sometimes wonders in whose interest they can be working.' It certainly : is not on all occasions in that of the rate- ; payers, _by whose votes: they are placed in' i the positions they occupy. One of < the most- ; conspicuous examples of this is seen in the action of _ the six councillors who, on Thurs- . day evening last, .endeavoured, by their-vote ; to saddle the ratepayers again with the whole cost of the maintenance of the fire brigade, one-half the cost of which is now being borne : by the insurance companies. I am, and have been, a shareholder to ? considerable amount for - years past in ;, insurance ¥ companies, so the action of . these councillors was playing into my hands, -because the less cost paid by companies means larger dividends to shareholders; ,but I have for years held, and still maintain,; that to exempt the insurance companies from their proper share of the expense of maintaining the brigades was a gross injustice-to the ratepayers, and so hailed with satisfaction the action of the : Government when 1 they fell into - line with .the rest of .the' Australian colonies, and compelled insurance ' companiesi to . pay , their. fair quota towards the cost of maintaining an efficient bridgade. Notwithstanding the immense advantage • .of this:: arrangement to the ratepayers, ; we find that Councillor Farrell and • "the five who ; voted with him did their very best to; relieve the insurance companies *of - the very; large payments they are now called'Vpon to make, and thus throw the whole burden back : again upon the- ratepayers. That the payments the insurance companies have to: make under the Act ' are large cannot be gainsaid. - In the ' first _ place, i the value jof the plant and properties taken' over by the Board was valued by the ' arbitrators" at - £21£26 19s 4d ;V onehalf of this will have ;to be paid by the companies, assisted by the Government contribution of £500 per annum. In-addition to : 'this, :: they have ito pay, one-half the annual cost | for .brigademaintenance, which - will mean at least for a time ' £3000 per annum. ?.s After a | while this, -amount; ■ may .. bel'.reduced ? some-; 1 [ what, when the present Board have managed to get the brigade into, an efficient condition, for, - whatover may ;■ be said ' about •' the ' pro-, gressive policy of the Council, it had not, e so far as the Fire Brigade Board has seen, reached ' this department :? of M the l -*tCouncil's duties. If, therefore, < the brigade is - to-day a little ; more costly than'.when :• run'.' by" the Council, &itf is • more than J made up ?by the increased efficiency of the brigade. "What arguments Councillor -Parrell used for the proposed change is not recorded. Perhaps he' will kindly enlighten the v ratepayers,' so/ that they may know how far they will jlje able in the ' future rto entrust their - interest to C his keeping. Pbo Bono Publico.