MOSGIEL FIRE POLL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20701, 26 April 1929, Page 17

MOSGIEL FIRE POLL.

THE PROPOSAL OUTLINED. On .May I a poll of the ratepayers of Mosgiel will he taken on a proposal that tile district within the'jurisdiction of the Borough Council be constituted a lire district within the meaning of the Fire Brigades Act, 1926. As this poll will to a certain extent affect the finances of the borough, the council deemed it its duty to set before the ratepayers a clear statement of the facts at a, public meeting. This meeting was held on Wednesday night in the Borough Chambers, the Mayor (Mr J. P. Walls) presiding. He was supported by some members of the council and representatives ot the local and visiting lire brigades. The Mayor explained that the formation of the hoard was to enable the Fire Brigade to work under more modern methods hy providing an engine with pump, whereby the water pressure (which in certain portions of the borough had always been totally inadequate for lirc-lighting purposes) could be inci cased, and that additional hose and other fire-lighting appliances might be procured. _ Under the proposed board the File Brigade would secure assistance from both the Government and the insurance companies. The board would consist of one Government representative, two insurance company representatives, and two representatives of the ratepayers elected by the Borough Council. The duties of the board would he to establish and maintain an efficient brigade for the suppression and extinction of fires, and for protecting life and property from loss or damage by fire and to provide such buildings and equipment as it deemed necessary for such purpose. The board, if formed, would have the power to raise a loan to provide the facilities required; and the acquiring of the aforementioned engine ami equipment would entail an expenditure of about £IOOO, the annual charge upon which would he as follows: £IOOO at 5} per cent., £57 10s; sinking fund say, „ per cent., £2o; total, £77 10s! The matter of the sinking fund to be provided was entirely within the discretion of the Local Bodies’ Loans Board, which would have to sanction the loan and also determine the amount of sinking fund and in tins matter they would bo°guided by the purpose for which the money was required. This annual charge was met by a Government contribution of 10 ucr cent., 45 per cent, by the insurance companies, and 45 per cent, by the Borough Council. The council was not in a position to state what the annual inaintenance charges would be for upkeep, the Tire Board being in the same position as the Hospital Board, inasmuch as it estimated the amount of their annual expenditure, and this, in addition to the interest account, was borne bv the three contributory parties. Whatever the amount might be that the board required from the council, it was proposed to strike a special fire rate levied on the capital value of buildings only The council could not foresee the expenditure of future years, but there was no reason to anticipate that any serious demands would he made by the board on the councils Imanees. but should such happen, say that a new fire station *as required, this would be met by this special fire rate which it was proposed As -,f n exam l'le, he stated that the council’s share of the interest account would be £39, and supposing the annual maintenance amounted to £IOO of £84 U to I he "?. uld be f 45 ’ a total of £B4,- to be met by the special fire rate which would entail a rate of 5-32 of onk nn f>n n Capital Value of buildings of i a property the capital value of which might be, say, £750, the fire This "be am rV 0 03 0d P<* annum, ihis ho considered to be a clear-cut statement of the facts, and it was upon those the council asked ratepayer 3 P to exercise their vote at the poll/ Ihe visiting firemen briefly addressed the meeting. Some of these had had 41 years experience in fire brigade work—nnrtlv , Un i dcl ' * borougk «>uncil and partly under a fire board. From their remarks it appeared that there was no comparison between the two. Under the .former it was a struggle to get equipment and carry on, and under the latter though there was no needless expense' proper equipment was gradually procured. It also had the effect of increasing the water supply and securing a reduction in insurance rates. It was mentioned that the Mosgiel fire station would not be lost. It was an asset worth about £3OO, which the board would refund to the council. At present the reel had to be pulled to the scene of a fire, and by the time the firemen reached there they were tired and were not in a fit state to fight a fire, ine ratepayers’ interests would be safeguarded by the two borough representatives on the board; The ratepayers need not fear a plunge in expenditure. Improvements would come gradually. Captain White said the local brigade had been formed for 23 years. In the early stages the members had put their hands in their pockets to keep things going, and to establish a fund. The Mayor had mentioned a sum of £B4 per annum as the borough’s contribution; but lie would like to mention that the conned had been paying from £SO to £6O per year to the brigade in the past. s ° tkat axtra money would be only about £3O. The brigade was not askiim for ornaments or toys to play with. It wanted good fire fighting appliances to save the ratepayers’ properties. The brigade gave its services; surelv the public should provide the plant. * Mosgie!s fire losses in the past few years bail certainly been small, but rho could tell when a largo conflagration nimbi take place. The small bore mains “in some streets were totally inadequate for nre lighting, and an engine could be used to pump water from the streets with the larger mains until such time as the smaller mains would be replaced with larger ones It had been said that a file board' won!., pay firemen to sleep on the premises. This was not so It was optional. It would be an advantage if, say, a couple of beds were provided at the station and some person secured to sleep there for a few shillings per week, but such was not compulsory. The fare losses of New Zealand were the highest in the world. Attention had been drawn to this by iho authorities. V\as Mosgiel going to lag behind? Balclutha, Milton, Kaitangata, and Law-rence—-towns of the size of Mosgiel—had found it an advantage and no inconvenience to be under a fire board ihen why should Mosgiel fear to take the step i

air Dyer raised an important point regarding the water supply. First of all ho said, he appreciated all that had been said by Captain White, and he acknowledged the services of the brigade He was. however, afraid that the action of the board would be to ask the borough coi -Cl I to install larger mains The special rate mentioned 'by the Mayor on bui dings only was quite reasonable, hu! jt did not provide for renewal of mains, rhii! would have to come out of the pockets of the ratepayers, whether they had improvements on their lands or not He mentioned the large area of farming lands in the borough. The owners oi these were heavily enough rated now for town improvements, out of which the farm land owners got little or no benelit. He instanced one case in which the increase on even a small loan would he £ } 2 . l. ler . He warned ratepayer ot this danger. The farm land owners were very dissatisfied at present. This would make them more so. In answer to questions it was ascertained that though the hoard iniMil re commend improvements, the council would not be obliged to carry them out. The settlement of the borough would demand a better distribution of water

around the streets for domestic purposes whether the fire board asked for it or not. The Mayor thanked the visiting firemen and Captain White for their attendance. The public had now had the' matter explained and would be able to record an intelligent vote at the poll.