A FIRE BOARD

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1928, 30 October 1926, Page 5

A FIRE BOARD

DO THE RATEPAYERS FAVOUR IT % POLL TO DECIDE NEXT WEDNESDAY. There seems little need to remind ratepayers of the poll to he taken next Wednesday, in conjunction with the subject of altering the system of rating in Te Awamutu, from the present basis of capital values to that of unimproved values, on the question whether Te Awamutu borough area should be converted into a fire board district; but we give below a precis of the replies received from several boroughs of about the same population as Te Awamutu. We quote briefly fifteen replies, and these have not been chosen with the object of stressing the overwhelming nature of the replies in favour, but rather to give voters a fair indication of what obtains in other boroughs that have adopted the new system. The questionnaire, it may be explained, put six queries, the two essentials being: Is a fire board advantageous to a borough? and, Is the fire brigade more efficient under a fire board? Summarised, the replies are as follow: IS FIRE BOARD ADVANTAGEOUS . TO BOROUGH ? Hawera: Yes. Eltham: Yes. Taumarunui: Yes. Rotorua: Yes. Te Aroha: Yes. Waitara: I don’t think so. Levin: Yes. Lawrence: Yes. Westport: Yes. Whangarei: Yes. Balclutha: Yes. Hokitika: Yes. Dargaville: Yes, absolutely. Foxton: Yes, decidedly. Pukelcohe: Yes. Feilding: Yes. IS BRIGADE MORE EFFICIENT ? Hawera: Undoubtedly. Eltham: Naturally. Taumarunui: Yes. Te Aroha: Yes. Levin: Yes. Waitara: Yes. Lawrence: Yes. Whangarei: Yes. Balclutha: Yes. Hokitika: Yes. Port Chalmers: Yes. Dargaville: Yes, undoubtedly. Foxton: Yes. Pukeltohe: Yes. Feilding: Yes.