FIREMEN IN CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18631, 12 February 1924, Page 9

FIREMEN IN CONFERENCE.

GATHERING AT ROTORUA. [by telegraph.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ROTORUA, Monday. The forty-fifth annual conference of the United Fire Brigades' Association of New Zealand was opened- here to-day. Superintendent W. H. Barnard (Palmerston North), president of the association, presided. The following members of the executive were present:—Vice-president Captain Morrison (Hillside, Dunedm); Vice-president It. Henderson (Hastings), Secretary-Captain T. J. Watts (Newmarket), Treasurer-Secretary C. A. Osborne (Onehunga), fast-president C. A. Lucas (Duneiin). The following pastpresidents were* also present: — A. Martin (Gore), E. J. Scantlebury (Nelson), /B. Winn (Lawrence), W. Coupar (Oamaru), W. Keith (Hastings). The president stated that the. attendance was one of the largest in the hisory of the association. The conference adjourned for ten minutes as a mark of respect to <ne memory of the late Mr. F. C. J. Bellringer,* past president, the late Mr. E. Mulvihill, past president of the Accident Assurance Society. A civic welcome was extended to the members of the conference by the Mayor, Mr, C- H. Clinkard. who said that he had pleasure, on behalf of the citizens of Rotorua, in expressing wis appreciation of the noble and self-sacri-ficing work of the firemen and in bidding them a very hearty welcome to Rotorua. It was resolved to recommend that- the Municipal Corporations Act be amended to provide that upon the appointment of the chief and second officers of brigades working under the control <}t local bodies they automatically become fire insectors. under the Act. It was decided that brigades this year have the option of devoting the association's grants to the purchase of gear or to prizemoney, and that the present rule on the subject be deleted. I An invitation to hold the next 'conference and demonstration in Christchurch was accepted. In reply to a suggestion from the Dunedin brigade that the association should postpone its next competitions to 1926, the year of the Dunedin International Exhibition, and then hold them in Dunedin, it was resolved that the association could not postpone the competitions, but that it would endeavour to get the Government to authorise a special competition in Dunedin in 1926.