GISBORNE FIRE BOARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2758, 12 March 1910, Page 5

GISBORNE FIRE BOARD.

ITS ADMINISTRATION JUSTIFIED

During the past few days the question of the administration of the Gisborne Fire Board has been brought forward by reason of a discussion in the Borough Council during which the Mayor severely criticised the working of the Board. 'His Worship then held that the Fire Board was c-f no use to the Borough, and that under its control the expenditure was much heavier, there was not any increase in efficiency, and that- the Board seemed to he acting in a manner hostile to the Council and against the best interests of the Borough. The Mayor also added that the Board was spoiling one of the Coun_ oil’s best reserves.

“Who axe they that- we should be hostile to them?”' asked Mr John Townley. Chairman of the Board, when interviewed on the subject by a“Times” representative yesterday morn, ing. “it is absolutely ridiculous and absurd to say that the Board is acting against the interests of the Borough.” Mr Townley went on to explain thatthe reason for the Fire Brigade coming under the Fire Board was that the expenditure would be divided between the insurance companies and the Borough Council, and the Board -was composed of three representatives from the insurance companies, three from the Borough Council, and one Government nominee. The expenditure for the year ending June 30th, 1910, had b.een estimated at £524 8s sd, made up in requisitions as follows: Government 10 pe r cent. £52 8s lOd, Borough Council £235 19s 9d, insurance companies £235 19s lOd. “Thus,” added Mr Townley, “you will see that were it not for the ■Fire Board the Borough would have to bear all the expense, and Mr Lysnar was present at the meetings when the matter of expenditure was discussed and agreed to by all.” Continuing, Mr Townley stated that it was absolute nonsense to talk Q f the Board “spoiling one of the Council’s best reserves.” “Why! we have actually made the reserve for them, where the. Station stands by reclamation works,” he said. What the reserve was required for, he did 'not know, and there was .no other site in Gisborne so well suited for the purposes of the Brigade, and fifty others much more’suit-able for the erection of a Town Hall, wjdch it had been suggested should be built there. Even if were found necessary to build a, Town Hall, Mr Townley contended that there was ample room on the section, and that it- would be a great pity to remove the Fire Brigade station from its present- site. This was so on account of the pro.ximtiy to the river, from which could be drawn a- supply of water by means of the steam fire engine in the event- of the Te Arai water being cut off. as had been the case at Messrs Teat and Friar’s fire, and there were separate mains in the principal business thoroughfares of the town. In addition to the Arai supply, in the case of a- big fire, 4 or 5 independent branches could be put on fed through the separate mains by the steam service from the river.. “1 am satisfied that before such a service is disorganised, the ratepayers must know all about it,” added the superintendent. Mr Townley concluded by pointing opt that- the brigades in the large centres were compelled to come under the control of Fire Boards, and that out of the whole 106 boroughs in the Dominion only 42 were eligible to come under the system, owing to. lack of the necessary populationkTf 2000. At present- 19 or 20 of the principal brigades in the Dominion were under the control of Fire Boards and the system was working most satisfactory, and, so- far as he knew, not one single place that had ever tried it had gone back on it-. The local Brigade was now, he claimed, more efficient than ever, and when talking about increased expenditure, itmust be remembered that new uniforms had been -provided at a cost- of £loo. and that the number of calls, for which the twenty-five members of the Brigade had to be paid, had been, during the year, abnormally large.