FIRE POLICE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 90, 27 August 1868, Page 2

FIRE POLICE.

The first general meeting of the newly enrolled Fire Police wiu held in the reading room of tli<i britfitdo atution l»st ninbt. Tlie »tipulutcd numbci* for constituting the force nol I aving been sworn, hU Worship (lie Mayor uttecdud for the |>urposo of administering the uath to tho remaining three. Tba nccc-'fary names liud been given in, but two failing to attend, others were pressed into ibo service, and tho required number ultitnntoly mode up by tho enrolment of 11, ■Colin, J. OutbrJo, and J. Hebden. Whea this was concluded, there warn iblrty.-nine members present Mr Mitchell sniil, beforo proceeding to business, ho thought some acknowledgment should be tendered to the Miiyor for tho trouble ho bad taken in re-eatablbhi g the force. Mr Wilson bad nttended three times more than was incumbent upon him for tho purpose of swearing in members, and the meeting could not do les* than Award a vote of thanks, which be bad great pleasure in proposing. Tho motion wns seconded by Captain WtUon, and carried by acclamation. The Mayor acknowledged tbe compliment, mid said although not there forthepotp so of taking part in the business of tbe evening, he should like to inform tlie meeting that if they would elect a Firo Inspector to act in conjunction with Captain Wilson, or in that officer's absence, supply tbe vacancy, he as Chairman of the Borough Council would be happy to ratify tbe appointment, (AppUuie.) ills Worship then retired, and business wu commenced by Mr 11. Thomson being voted to tho uhair, on tho motion of Mr St. Quentin. The Chnirmnnsaid tho force haring Iran re* organised, the first duty would be to elect fire otllccrs to superintend operations at fires and otherwiso regulate tho action of the members when on active duty. It would be for the meeting first to propose candidates, and then decide whether the election should be con* ducted by show of hands, or as at tba previous election, by ballot. Mr Hois moved that tho officers of tbe past year bo re-elected. Tho Chairman said it was certainly possible to adopt such a course, but ho would ask the uicoiing to consider whether it was not only a very unusual but very injudicious one. Ihe best plan, he thought, would U to test their individual merits by a separate election, Mr Jameson also pointed out that it would bo better to select members raiding in different parts of tbe city, so tfcat In the event of n fire occurring, there wi nld always t« at least ooe officer Bear at hacd.

Mr Itosn withdrew Ills in'illoiii and ibo following gentlemen woro then nominated! — L. G. Colo, W, MltoMl, H. Tliaimon, 11. K. Alpori, W, Ml/tlop, J, Anderson, — Knaji* man, F. A, Bishop, J, V. Horb, and J. C H Quentin, On llio motion of Mr Mundy, It was »ocldcrl Clint tlio voting »ho»l«t bo by ballot, which wiih accordingly taken, and resulted an Iollow»;--\V, JMlcUull, ,13) L. G. Colo;.')*; H, Thomson, 30 j 11. ]fi. Alnort, 20; .J, Andemon, 2ij illiilnip, Mj lllhlop, 10| Uofl.i, 0; fit Qncntln, flj and Knnpmnn, 4, Tho Olniiriimit declared tlio first flvo to bo duly clcotctl, Mr Niitlmn moved a votfl of thanks to Mr Mitchell for lilfi valuable services us aeorotfiry (luring tlio past year, and that ho ho »'»>- quentod to coniinuo ihom for Mm eiinulujf twelve months, Tlio motion wnfl Bccondod, and tlio /Irst part of H curried by acclamation, Mr Mitchell acknowledged tho volo o( thanks, nfi helng at leant . v proof I hut tho mom horn of tho foroo woro »rttl»flwl with the manner in which ho had discharged hUdailtnv. Ho would willingly continue liifl «orv/e«i «n desired, on thoy wero not very arduous, mid lio took Rroat intercut In contributing hy m>y means^to tho prosperity of, the force, Tlio rules in fom> provloun to tlio reorganisation wore road, dlsoHfmod seriatim, ftnuMiHlmiWely adopted without alteration, It wan decided that tho quarterly m< elliw, which according to tlio rules, nitouM take plnco in September, should be» panned over, flni] the flrnt bo held in December. Tho Secretary Informed the now member* that llicy could procure uniform caps from Mr Homier, or from Mr lluauli'n HHcoeanor In budincflH, Mr Alporfc fluid ft wn» thought by llio volunteers of Chrlsteburiih that thoy hud lately boon flomewhat unecromonlouiily put Hflldo at flrcfl, nnd In fact they folt themselves aggrieved at not being porinftlod to lake lh»< part in suppressing thorn that they (Mid to dn, AH members of tho Vivo Police would allow that tho volunteers had dnno very good norvlco on flovoral occnulonii. (IJcnr, hear) And he thought, ihcroforo, tlmt Id would hn very (k»)rnh)u, if it could bo ho nrnmjjod, that tho two bodies could net In combination on fluoh occasions, His v!ow at tlio matt* r whs that llio Vira Brlgado, Klro Police, and Halvngc Corps, should tako porniontilon of tlio pronilHOß on fire, nnd tlmt tho volunteer* should koip a clear spaco for them to \v->rlc in, For tho purpose of oflluctlng thin, ho 'would move (hut tlio hon. fine, ho requited to commanwMo with tho ofl]cors ooininaiullng, and eaptnliifl of companion, with n view of acting in co-npornllon at flrai, Mr Ht Qiu-iitlii seconded tho motion, M ho connlderoil it most CHsonliul Unit thoro should 1)0 Aomo (U'fjrco of diflofplino brought to boar on such occasions, llu wim <m\lu milhftoil that tliero was tlio necessary material in the Flro I'ollco to «avo nnd protect properly j hut nt tho AAino linio tlio hiipporl, of men uhc.il to drill, would ho a f^roat iu«lotaiu'.e. lie wan confldent that tlio voluutocrH would gladly corporate, and with ouch an organised combination of 1/lro })rlgido, Ji'lro Police, ivmJ Voluntcorn, (!hrl4oliuroli would indeed bo favoured wilh minim for eDsiirlng tho rapid extinction of firuti, ami tho protection of pro* jpeny, Mr J. Utirt did not «oo t)io ncoo«flity of tho motion, and nuked If uny voluntoow in unfform had ever been turned away from a flro or tliolr /iHAintanuo rofunud, Mr Alport replied, Unit thoy had not, but tho If(r« Pol lea dad tuken their du'lcfl without uwarding tbem tiny other powltlon, Mr Mitchell Hiipporicd tho rcHolution, 110 know that Home diuimllnfactlon was felt nmongAt tho voluutecrit at tho Iflro Police talcing their place, but it would bo very desirable if tho two bodicn could ho worked conjointly with cnoh other, which )io had no doubt could bo dono, and no joaloUHly created. MrM, H, [fartflnld ho had at tlio last flro luvnod Hovoral Diiok, who Raid thoy woro voluntccro, but had no part of thtir uniform on. 'l'liift Itihtimcv m\xhl poi)mp» havo glvyo rlflo to Homo of tho unplcitmuitnuHA, but It m\>»t bo romomhufud that ho had been placed In charge of a certain po«t by C'tiptnln WilHon, nnd ho could not believe ovcry iihui'h fllutcmcnt that he wan a volunteer, Had an^' -part of their uniform been deployed then iio oliould not iiavo ordered them bnclc. Ho nKrccd with tho motion, and believed it ilia two bodfcff could bo miulo to net togother. much trouble and confiiNlon would be Hiivud, After flomo further dlHcunftlon tho motion wnfl put mid ««rrk'd unnnlmo\\h)y, tho yecro« inry boing dirt clod to mcnUon to llio odlccro commt\i)ditifs tlmt it would he ncccflHury for tho men to wcur Homo part of their uniform, or they could not bo rccogniacd. Mr Angun cnllod Attention to tho ncceshlly of nomin/Ulng n fire fnnpeotor, and proponed Mr Cole, wljoho lenown Rcrvicefl at tho earlier flren (v tlio city, and fluuKcqucncly tin chief offlcor of tho Jflro Police, rendered him in crory way entitled to tlio olllcu, MrM, H, Hurt Hecomlvd i\\o nomitmUon, nnd liio Ht'crctary v/a» roqucoled to forward it to tlio Mayor for tho decennary ratification, Mr Uotfl aHkcd what would bo tho ponition of Uiu ofneern of Yolunloorn in renpout to lhofloofiho IH re I'ulicu, and whothor momborn of tho forco would lu> wutev comnmud of VolunUor oHlcc-fA, if. ono of tliolr own was not on the ground. Tho Chairman Raid when an aiiHwer \fu received to tho resolution, ho should suggest that tho officcro of, tho two bodice ohould meet, and (llroubb the , matter with a view to arriving at (ho bent measures for suiting both partleii, A fdiorfc dlflcuflwlon nroto m to tho mom dcfllrablo place tor holding tlio mcotingn of tho forco during tho ensuing year, and tho Brigade flUtlon waa again unanimoimly selected. Mr Rota suggested tho ftdvlflahlllty of instituting an annual dinner in connection with tho forco. Ho couriered that auch a proceeding would have a tendency to bind tho morabcrfl moro together, and mduco a good

Hplrll amongst thorn. Ho moved that an annual dinner bo hold during tho month of Hoptomber in each year. Tlio motion was flccondcd, and cuvrlod unanimously, Tlio appointment of a commlttoo for arranging tho flrnt one, was then mooted, but Mi< M. U. Mart said if tho memherfl would accept tho invitation ho should bo vory huppy to onlorltvin thorn, together with the Mayor and, Uorougli Councillors, on any day during tho month, which would bent sulc thorn.' Tho Invitation was aocoptoil, nnd n volo of tli/wilfs, fogothcr with a hwu'ty rwuid of appluuiio, was, on tho motion of Me Alport, tiwavdgd to him In acknowledgment of hlfl gijiioroHlty. Mr I llnlop pointed out the advisabllliy of eJto(!tir.g an alteration to tho uniform cap, by which tho corn and necks of moinboi'H would bo protected from n|>irkn and water at fIiMR, Dudnpf tho flro at the College, ho himself I'dcolvodHuvoralflcvcro burns from spark* falling upon liifl nouk, but all danger of hucli might easily bo removed by having a projootiiitf )>ii;«:<; of louthor round tho nldon and \)M'M of tho cap, in a similar manner to thoao worn by t)iu ordinary police, Mr ilonnor \ had nflcrcd to oft'oot tlio ncocflflitry alk'r.v- --| tlon for In 9d por onp, and ho movod that tlio addition nhould ho adoplfl I. ■ Ib» »)i)tli») was seconded, but Mr AngtiH moved mi an anioudiiiont that coniildunitlon of! iha alturatl'iu Miould bu left to tho oniceru, ti'hlcli w/iH carried , Tho ollk-orn of tho foroo woro dlrocto;! to conHiitt with Mr [fart an to tho bout tlmo for tho proponed dinner, after which tho roll wa» called, and tho meotinß Roparatod.