ANNUAL REUNION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 751, 26 August 1929, Page 14

ANNUAL REUNION

EFFICIENT FIRE BRIGADE LOSSES LOW IN ONEHUNGA The value of buildings in Onehunga amounts to nearly £2,000,000. Last year premises worth £IO,OOO were threatened by fire, but the losses were kept down to £2,500. This sums up the result of the activities of the Onehunga Fire Brigade, as disclosed at its twenty-seventh annual reunion on Saturday evening. In responding to the toast of “Parliament,” Mr. W. J. Jordan, M.P. for Manukau, compared these figures with those for the Dominion as a whole. He pointed out that, whereas the average loss per capita throughout New Zealand last year worked out at £1 2s 6d, in Onehunga, it amounted to less than ss. That, he thought, constituted strong evidence as to the efficiency of the brigade. Cr. W. C. Hill, a former fireman and now a member of the Onehunga Fire Board, referred to the recent purchase and equipment of an auxiliary fire tender, which had been paid for out of revenue. This, % he said, could not have been done unless the finances of the board had been carefully managed.

He also announced that the Borough Council had recently provided increased water pressure for fire-fight-ing purposes in the newly settled areas on the Oranga and Merrilands estates. Mr. W. C. Kemble, chairman of the Onehunga Fire Board, presided over a large attendance in the commodious recreation hall at the Fire Station. Among those present were:—Sir Frederick Lang, M.L.C., Mr. E. Morton, Mayor of Onehunga, and several councillors; Messrs. R. G. Speight, T. R. Gilbert, J. E. Green and C. Hankins, former members of the Fire Board, together with many representatives of city and suburban fire brigades. In proposing the toast to the Fire Board, Mr. Morton recalled that he joined the brigade 30 years ago as a fireman, when the only accommodation provided was an old shed and the only equipment a hand-reel. Today there was a building, plant and fire alarm system worth many thousands of pounds. The secretary, Mr. C. A. Osborne, and Fireman T. Prior were presented with gold bars in recognition of the completion of 27 years’ service in the brigade. Silver bars for long service were also presented to Fireman Gus Young (21 years), Superintendent C. E. Gilbert (19 years), Firemen J. Williams, D. Salt and C. Filmer (7 years), T. Gilbert (5 years) and T. Heighway (3 years). Mr. T. J. Watts, on behalf of the flew Zealand United Fire Brigades’ Association, presented the brigade with a framed certificate for having won the championship of New Zealand in the ambulance competition at Hokitika in February last.

The proceedings were enlivened by an excellent programme of musical items contributed by Messrs. W. Surgeoner, A. Colquhon. J. Hill, J. O’Kane,‘L. Bickerton. J. Thorpe, J. Calvert, T. Cooper and J. McMinn. Mr. W. Purcell was an efficient and sympathetic accompanist.