THE FIRE BRIGADES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 426, 10 April 1880, Page 11

THE FIRE BRIGADES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL._ Sib, The differences between the Council and brigades on the one side, and the Insurance Association on the other, must now possess much interest for the citizens, who are threatened with a "strike " on the part of the brigades. The situation, from the Council and brigade point of view, has been thoroughly placed before the public, and ours stand totallyignored. Permit me to give' the other side of the question.

As an insurance agent I object to the present arrangement being continued on four grounds — Pirst. The brigade expenses are most extravagant. Of the £IOOO they receive over £SOO is paid in salaries or honorariums alone to captains, watchmen, stabltkeepers, and secretaries. There are 64 members in the two brigades, and each of these requires a uniform and a share of the item appearing each

balance-sheet " Refreshments at fires." I contend that 30 men are sufficient for the needs of this small town. Each brigade incurs heavy charges for keep of horses, stationkeepers to look after them, &c. I think the end will be better and cheaper served by selling the horses and letting their stables to cabmen, with a stipulation that their horses shall be at the service of the brigades when required. Secondly. The divided authority at present existing is fatal to all control. Mr. Moss has stated that each superintendent of brigade has his own district, within which he " bosses" the other. The theory is right, but for the practice I refer your readers to the record of the police courts, with its entries of complaints of assaults committed by members of one brigade on the other. I can also point to one occasion where one superintendent disobeyed the orders of his then superior, drew an axe upon hirn, and insisted upon saturating with water a house where the fire was already extinguished, f Thirdly. As long as Fire Brigades are kept on foot, many property holders will not insure. Insurance Companies do not carry on business for the benefit of " the human race," but for the emolument of their shareholders ; and I submit that for them to pay money for purposes which have a direct influence in preventing persons from insuring is a suicidal policy. It may be argued that the brigades have saved companies large amounts, but those who f-ay so forget that if there were no brigades premiums would be perhaps five times as high, so that the value of the expense incurred by the! city for fire protection materially reduces the annual amount coming out of the citizens' pockets into the tills of the Insurance Companies. At the brigade meeting it was stated that the takings of the companies were immense in comparison to their losses in Wellington. Much the same was said of Chicago, but in one night the profits of twenty years were swept away. If Chicago, with its solid atone buildings, became a desolation, what may we expect one night of this town, with its wooden buildings, narrow streets, and high winds ?

-Fourthly. Everybody knows that the lates of premium formerly charged here have come down greatly, and the public cannot expect to have the benefit both ways, low rates and contributions to >ire Brigade expenses. The tradesman who in good times keeps his buggy and pair, and a country villa, will, if he is wise, as profits get lower, take again to " Shank's pony," and two or three rooms over the shop.—Yours, &c, Fiee TTndebwmteb.