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not give me an opportunity of judging the brigade as a whole, and points to an absence of a proper sense of discipline and interest in the work, as well as indicating a want of control on the part of the officer in charge. The drills performed were carried out in an energetic manner, but more practice is required. The men should be provided with better uniforms, particularly with helmets. 500 ft. of new hose and one new standpipe is required. The bell-ringing apparatus at the Central Station should bo put in good working-order. In accordance with my previous recommendation, a reel-shed, reel, and bell should be provided in the Quarter Acres district. Whilst in Auckland I found that, due to the amalgamation of Parnell with the city, there are two bells for sale there, weighing approximately somewhere about 400 lb. each, that may be purchased for £12 each, which, price is a little more than equal to the value of the bells as old metal, and I would recommend your Board to purchase one of them, and in that case prompt application to the Superintendent of the Auckland Brigade will be necessary. 1 have, &c, Thos. T, Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades. Sir,— 9th April, .1915. For reasons known to your Board, no inspection of the personnel of the brigade was made upon the occasion of my visit to Tauranga on the 25th ultimo. Every effort should be made to bring the membership of the brigade up to its full authorized strength as soon as possible. I would recommend that the large bell recently purchased should be hung on the tower at the Central Station ; experiment will decide the best height, the skeleton iron tower erected alongside the substation at Quarter Acres and the bell at present in the Central Station tower removed thence. If later it is considered necessary, the triangle, can be removed from its present site and re-erected at some suitable point further towards the town boundary. New couplings should be procured and turned into the hose lately purchased, and the connections on the standpipes and branches converted to the standard pattern of V thread. I notice that my original recommendation as to the provision of hand-pumps has not been carried out, and the matter should be attended to. I have, &c, Thos. T. Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades. At the time of my last visit to Tauranga the brigade was very weak numerically, only having a membership of twelve all told, as against an authorized strength of twenty-two, and, in fact, was then in course of reorganization under the control of a newly appointed Superintendent, so that for the time being I cannot make a report upon the efficiency or otherwise of its personnel. During the year five calls were received, all of which proved to be for actual fires. The attendance of members of the brigade at the five calls averaged ten per call, or 66-7 per cent, of the total strength. The fire loss amounted to £1,177. The estimated cost of this brigade from the 14th October, 1914, the date of constitution of the Fire Board, to the 30th June, 1916, is £655 6s. Bd. TIMARU. Two inspections of the Timaru Brigade and its equipment have been made—viz., 4th December, 19.1.4, and 19th April, 1915. The two following reports, forwarded to the Secretary of the Board, cover the respective inspections : — Sir,— 21st December, 1914. An inspection of the Timaru Fire Brigade and its equipment was made on the 4th instant, when there was present at the inspection muster the Superintendent, Deputy, and fifteen firemen ; these, with three on leave, accounting for the full strength (twenty) of the brigade. A " turn out, " of the horse-reel was executed smartly, and various hose-drills were carried out in a satisfactory manner. An inspection of the new Central Station shows it to be well and suitably designed for its purpose, and to all outward appearances well built and finished with ample furnishings and refittings ; but the tower, situated in an angle of the building, causing two of its sides to be useless, is not in a suitable position. It should have been placed clear of the building, as recommended in the first instance. Since the alterations have been made in the water-mains reticulation of the town a very material improvement is apparent both in volume and pressure. As mentioned at the time of my visit, certain minor matters require attention. The men should at once be provided with axe-pouches. The barriers around the sliding-poles are dangerously low, and may at any moment prove the cause of a fatal accident. They should be raised, or an additional rail fitted. The telegraph-posts to which the fire-alarm boxes are fixed should be painted with a band of vcrmillion or bright-red paint reaching from 1 ft. below to at least 2 ft. above the box, also a plate leaving the words " Fire alarm " printed thereon should be hung from the post above the box. The brigade should be provided with at least six collapsible canvas buckets, also with two pairs of insulated wire-cutters. I have, &c, Thos. T. Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades.