Fire Brigade Competition.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 288, 18 April 1889, Page 2

Fire Brigade Competition.

THE NAPIER BRIGADE BACKING OUT. WHAT ARE WE TO THINK OF IT? [fbom oub own cobbesjondbnt.t Napieb ? yesterday. With regard to the Fire Brigade competition at Gisborne next month, I learn that the Hasting’s Brigade has decided to send a team down, and the following have been p' .kod to go into training :— Sub-Superintendant Beck, Foreman Keith, Branchman A. A. George, Firemen Stanley, Erson and Brousohe.

Mr George will bo well known in Gisborne, being formerly engaged on the journal which was superseded by the Gisborne Standard. The members of the Napier Brigade met on Monday night, when the proposal to send a team to Gisborne was considered and discussed at length. After a great deal of discussion it was decided not to send a team on account of the length of time the men would be away. The News last night says : ” We think it is a great pity that the brigade did not see its way clear to send a team, seeing that they were expected to visit that place hy the Gisborne Brigade, who at once called a meeting and decided to ask the public to augment the prize money by voluntary contributions. The programme was enlarged, and now the Gisborne people will be rather surprised to learn that tho Napier men will not go. However, the Spit Brigade might send a team.’’ Napier, last night.

At a meeting of the Spit Volunteer Fire Brigade a team was picked to go to Gisborne next month. There was some discussion anent sending a second team, but nothing definite was settled. There is consequently a probability of three teams going down, although the Napier Brigade will not be represented.

The resolution of the Napier Brigade comes to us as a complete surprise, and we hardly know how to regard it. It was on the former decision of the Napier Brigades that Gisborne undertook to give an extended invitation to the other brigades to take part in the local competition. We do not wish to create discord by saying just what we feel inclined to say at this moment and will content ourselves by simply expressing astonishment at the vaccinating disposition of the Napier firemen. When the Invercargill people failed in what they had undertaken to do the Napier papers, with others, were justly severe on the way the Invercargill competition had been allowed to fall through, but if they had any of thia sort of thing to contend with there is nothing to be surprised in it. Yet notwithstanding the decision of the Napier Brigade, we do not suppose it will affect the Gisborne competition, though it may affect our opinion of the members of ths Napier Brigade, The reason given is not a very good one, because if the tunning of the Union boats is not suitable, other arrangemania could easily ba made. Most likely there will ba teams going by rail to Napier, and thence to Gisborne, and there is plenty of time to make suitable provision, Thera is generally an Union boat arriving In Gisborne from Napier on Thursday night or Friday morning, and the large boat always leaves Gisborne for Napier on Friday night. If the men cannot afford two daya—ona of them a close holiday—we wonder how they oan manage to go to the South Island. We hope they will re-consider the matter.