H-6a

A number of special visits have been made, of which the following are the principal: — Wanganui—September 7, 1925 : Annual meeting of brigade. Auckland—-September 22, 1925 : New station, Point Chevalier district. Meeting U.F.B.A. Executive. Onehunga—September 23, 1925 : Inspe'ction of brigade and district. Otaki Sanatorium —September 30, 1925 : Inspection and report. Dunedin—October 13, 1925 : Conference with Exhibition Programme Committee. Hawera—December 14, 1925 : Testing new motor fire-engine. Rotorua —January 26, 1926 : Testing new motor fire-engine. Palmerston North—February 23, 1926 : Testing new motor fire-engine. Wairoa—March 24, 1926 : General inspection and report upon fire protection of town. Pahiatua—April 12, 1926: General inspection and report upon fire protection, watersupply, &c. Palmerston North—May 20, 1926 : Hose-testing. Wanganui- —May 21, 1926 : Hose-testing. Auckland—May 27, 1926 : Special Board meeting. Pukekohe—May 28, 1926 : General inspection. Onehunga—May 26, 1926 : Board meeting. Martinborough — June 24, 1926: General inspection, and report upon fire protection, water-supply, &c. Trentham Camp—October 20 and April 8 : Inspections and reports. Following upon an invitation from the executive officers of the United Fire Brigades Association, I attended their annual conference and the subsequent demonstration held in Dunedin in March last, also delivering an address to the conference delegates upon fire-prevention and fire-protection matters generally. At the request of the conference the address is to be printed and distributed to the brigades. Several interesting and instructive papers and reports were read at the conference. A large collection of fire-fighting plant and appliances were on exhibition on the competition-grounds, where working demonstrations of high-capacity turbine, trailer, and first-aid pumping outfits, chemical fire-extinguishers, collapsible escape-ladders, &c., were given. At inspection visits instruction in fire drill has been given in the smaller towns. Inspections have been made and reports submitted in respect to public buildings and institutions ; also, as usual, advice has been given to local bodies and others in regard to fire-prevention, water-supply, &c., and specifications for the supply of plant and appliances have been drawn up. During the year the Department has, on behalf of various Fire Boards and of the United Fire Brigades Association, imported and distributed, in accordance with the requisitions received, over 21,000 ft. of fire-hose, as also various fire appliances and fire-brigade equipment that is not at present manufactured in the Dominion. Following are the principal improvements and additions to equipment in various fire districts :■ — Auckland : New station to serve the Point Chevalier district, now nearing completion ; new 50 h.p. motor first-aid hose-and-ladder tender. Balclutha : New 22 h.p. motor hose-and-ladder tender. Christchurch : New district station in Sydenham, now nearing completion. Eltham : New 22 h.p. motor hose-and-ladder tender. Gisborne : Installation of a four-circuit fifty-seven-call-point street fire-alarm system. Greymouth : New 20/25 h.p. motor, 200/250 g.p.m. turbine first-aid, hose-and-ladder combination machine. Hawera : New 30/35 h.p. motor, 250/300 g.p.m. turbine, first-aid, hose-and-ladder combination machine. Invercargill: New Central Fire Station, nearing completion. Napier: Installation three-circuit twenty-five-call-point street fire-alarm system. Oamaru : Addition of second story to Central Fire Station building. Palmerston North : New 30/35 h.p. motor, 250/300 g.m.p. turbine, first-aid, hose-and-ladder combination machine ; new Central Fire Station nearly ready for occupation. Rotorua : New 30/35 h.p. 250/300 g.p.m. turbine, first-aid, hose-and-ladder combination machine. Taumarunui: Installation electric fire-alarm syren. Te Aroha : Installation electric fire-alarm syren. Wanganui : New station to serve the Castlecliff district. Superintendents of Brigades have reported the following casualties as having occurred in their respective districts : — Auckland —March 19th, 1926 : Married woman, Mrs. Power, knocked down by fire motorengine, with fatal results. Dunedin—July 30th, 1925: Elderly woman, Mrs. Harneiss, severely burned about the body, was removed to hospital and died there three days later. June 16th, 1926 —Leonard Philip was burnt to death in the room of a dwellinghouse. Eltham—March 24th, 1926 : Four inmates of a boardinghouse (two male lodgers and two female employees) were burnt to death, and a fifth person, a male lodger, was badly injured in escaping from the building, but since recovered. Hamilton —January 27th, 1926 : The Superintendent of the brigade fell through glass veranda and sustained broken collarbone and injury to elbow. February 13th, 1926 —A fireman broke his wrist through falling whilst working at a fire,

2