FIRE BRIGADES ACT.
(Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, April 30. Recently the Lower Hutt Borough Council decided to tako a poll as to convert' lug the borough into a fire district under tho Fire Brigades Act, but discovered that a certain provision of the act (scction 31) would have a very detrimental effect, inasmuch as it was hold by the council and its solicitor (hat on the creation of u fire district all lands and buildings occupied by a brigade become vested in the board which has to pay to the local authority a r l nt "n " l 0 CR pital value u i ■j a "". aru ' 'wildings so vested in the board, l.his would *havc been a serious matter for tho council, as tho land in question is worth anything up to £2500. Accordingly tho. poll iwaa indefinitely postponed. It is boJicvcd that many othor boroughs arc in a similar position. Tlio Hon. Dr Findlay, under whose department (ho administration comes, says ho had " considereal tho scction of the act referred to, and I dp not think it admits of the meaning attributed. to it by tho Mayor of Lower Hutt. I admit the scction is badly worded, but I don't think it t can be construed so as to vest tho fire board any greater interest than is vested in the fire brigade. It is clearly not intended to transfer tho feo simple, for the section provides for a rental to bo paid to,'owners of lands,' nor can it be, in my opinion, the intention of tho act to givo a board a. lease in perpetuity. I think the act does nothing more than effect a transfer from the brigade to tho board of the brigade estate and ite interest in tho lands occupied' bv it. If tho brigade is' a mere tenant at will of, tho borough council, thero is nothing in tho net which prevents tho council from determining tho tenancy at any time, notwithstanding the creation of a fire board."
A conference of insurance managers doing business in the colony met this morning, and subsequently a deputation waited on Dr Findlay to discuss the Fire Brigades Act. The proceedings wore of a private nature. ,
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 13891, 1 May 1907, Page 5
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370FIRE BRIGADES ACT. Otago Daily Times, Issue 13891, 1 May 1907, Page 5
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