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Session 11. 1918. NEW ZEALAND.

FIRE BRIGADES OF THE DOMINION (REPORT ON THE) BY THE INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th JUNE, 1918.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Inspector of Firm Brigades to the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs. Sir,— Office of Inspector of Fire Brigades, Wellington, 30th October, 1918. Herewith I have the honour to lay before you my tenth annual report, for the year ended 30th June, 1918, relative to the working of the Fire Brigades Act and including matters in connection therewith. During the year two new fire districts have been constituted —viz., Balclutha, 24th September, 1917, and Dargaville, 14th January, 1918. Also a poll was taken at Port Chalmers on the 22nd May last, and the proposal to proclaim the borough a fire district was carried. The fire districts as now constituted are —Auckland, Balclutha, Christchurch, Dannevirke, Dargaville, Dunedin, Feilding, Gisborne, Greymouth, Hamilton, Hastings, Hawera, Hokitika, Lawrence, Masterton, Milton, New Plymouth, Oamaru, Palmerston North, Petone, Rotorua, Tauranga, Timaru, Waihi, Whangarei, Woolston. I have officially inspected the brigades, with their stations and equipment, at present working under the control of Fire Boards, as follows ;— Auckland—27th May, .1918. Lawrence—lBth April, 1918. Balclutha—l7th April, 1918. Masterton—lBth June, 1918. Christchurch—l3th February, 1918. Milton—l7th April, 1918. Dannevirke—4th April, 1918. New Plymouth—l9th September, 1917. Dargaville—23rd May, 1918. Oamaru—23rd October, 1917. Dunedin—22nd April, 1918. Palmerston North—24th June,. 1 918. Feilding—29th April, 1918. Petone—l3th June, 1918. Gisborne—llth December, 1917. Kotorua—9th November, 1917. Greymouth—Bth February, 11)18. Tauranga—7th November, 1917. Hamilton—l4th November, 1917. Timaru—l9th March, 1918. Hastings—l7th June, 1918. Waihi—6th November, 1917. Hawera—3oth April, 1918. Whangarei—sth October, 1917. Hokitika—llth February, 1918. Woolston—l4th February, 1918. In addition to the statutory inspections, in accordance with requests received from localgoverning and other bodies, visits were paid for special purposes as follows : — Blenheim—2lst July, 1917 ; Conference with local bodies in reference to formation of fire district. Devonport—Bth October, 1917 : Inspection of brigade and equipment. Invercargill—2sth October, 1917: Conference with local bodies in reference to forming fire district. Waihi —15th January, 1918 : Valuation of brigade buildings and equipment. Hamilton —18th January, 1918 : Fire Board committee meeting. Otaki—3rd April, 1918 : Inspection for purpose of advising on formation of a brigade, purchase of equipment, &c. Wanganui —Ist May, 1918 : Inspection for the purpose of reporting upon the efficiency of the brigade, equipment, water-supply, &C. Timaru—sth June, 1918 : Inspection and report upon the new orphanage buildings.

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