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1937-38. NEW ZEALAND.

FIRE BRIGADES OF THE DOMINION (REPORT ON THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1938, BY THE INSPECTOR OF FIRE BRIGADES.

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

The Inspectob of Ftre Brigades to the Hon. the Minister of Intebnal Affairs. Office of the Inspector of Fire Brigades, Wellington, 9th September, 1938. Sir, — I have the honour to submit the thirtieth annual report for the year ended 31st March, 1938, on the working of the Fire Brigades Act, 1926. Fire Districts. No new fire districts were created during the year, but the Whakatane Fire Board, which was gazetted during the previous year, commenced operations. The number of fire districts in operation at the end of the year was 55. Dominion Fire Waste. The loss by fire in New Zealand during 1937 estimated on the usual basis —the actual amount paid out by insurance companies plus 12f per cent, for uninsured loss—was £520,894, being a decrease of £3,135 on the previous year. Having regard to the improved method of collecting statistics, this represents a new low fire-loss record per head of population. The following table shows the fire losses in New Zealand, Great Britain, Canada, and United States of America for the past eleven years : —

It was anticipated that owing to the increase in replacement values, both of buildings and contents during the years 1936 and L 937, the national fire-loss returns would show a corresponding increase. The fact that they have not done so is very pleasing and should enable the insurance companies to establish a reserve to meet the increased losses which are inevitable when the present low fire-loss cycle is completed. A study of the figures shows that the decrease during the year under review is due almost entirely to the fact that a lesser number of large fires with loss exceeding £5,000 has occurred. The importance of this factor will be realized when it is seen that the loss in six fires only during the first four months of the current year exceeded £130,000. Eire Loss in Fibe Distbicts. It will be seen from Tables II and IV attached that the loss in fire districts during the year ending •31st March, 1938, was £170,167, and in areas protected by Fire Boards £24,011, as compared with £199,592 and £3,248 respectively for the previous year. The differences are accounted for in the main by the fact that only two fires occurred in fire districts with loss exceeding £5,000 (confectionery factory,

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Fire Loss per Head. New Zealand i lie oss. New Zealan(1 6reat Britain. Canada. j °' £ s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Average(1927-31) .. .. 1,332,032 18 1 5 0 17 5 16 0 1932 .. .. .. 867,714 11 5 3 9 16 8 13 2 1933 .. .. .. 644,781 8 4 4 7 12 11 8 10 1934 .. .. .. 566,112 7 3 4 1 10 0 8 7 1935 .. .. .. 607,410 7 9 4 0 8 9 8 1 1936 .. .. .. 524,029 68 45 80 85 1937 . . .. .. 520,894 6 6 4 9 8 4 8 1

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Wellington, 9.28 a.m., loss £5,204, and motor-body builders, Auckland, 3 a.m., loss £12,687). The large fires in protected areas accounted for most of the loss. One at Belfast, Christchurch, cost £16,779, and the other at Heathcote Valley, Christchurch, £6,449. These high-loss fires are the principal factors in determining the fire loss in the fire districts which include most of the high-value block-risk areas. This is well illustrated by comparison with the previous year, the loss for 1936-37 being £76,608, representing 39 per cent, of the total loss, as compared with £17,891, which is only 15 per cent, of the fire district losses for 1937—38. The number of fires in fire districts requiring brigade attendance increased from 812 last year to 859. Loss or Life in Fires. The year under review is particularly notable on account of the large number of fatalities caused at or in connection with fires. There were twenty-two deaths, as compared with an avarage of twelve for the past five years. Of these, six were caused by the clothing of persons in front of ordinary heating fires becoming ignited. In six cases persons were trapped in burning buildings, and petrol and inflammable liquids were responsible for a further eight deaths. Although the latter figure is high, it is interesting to note that this is the first instance for some years where home dry-cleaning was not the cause of most fatalities in this class of fire. Four deaths were caused in the use of petrol in lamps or stoves, two in repairing or cutting empty petrol-containers, one while fuelling a motor-car, and one in home dry-cleaning. Fibe Fatalities in Licensed Hotels. A series of fires calling for particular comment has recently occurred in hotels and boarding-houses. During a period of fifteen months no less than four of these fires have resulted in persons being burned to death, and in all cases the hotel was a wooden building. The fires in question were at Bealey Hotel, Bealey ; Salvation Hotel, Thames ; Royal Hotel, Kurow ; and Commercial Hotel, Waihi. These fatalities show the necessity for improving the conditions with respect to fire in premises used for accommodation of transient guests and particularly in wooden buildings. It is strongly recommended that consideration should be given to the requirement as a condition of license, first, that all bedrooms should discharge to an outside fire exit, and, secondly, that fire-alarm arrangements of a type which will effectively awaken all occupants in the event of fire should be installed. Practically all New Zealand hotels are now fitted with electricity, and the provision of a suitable alarm system is neither an expensive nor a difficult matter. Fire-brigade Administration. The proposals contained in my last annual report with regard to fire-brigade administration have been carried a stage further by discussions with the Council of Fire Underwriters, the executive of the Municipal Association, and at the annual conference of the United Fire Brigades' Association. The views expressed by the underwriters were, firstly, that the amalgamation of the existing Fire Boards either with the local authority for the district, or with other non-contiguous Fire Boards in a regional area, would not lead to increased efficiency, and, secondly, that the existing system of independent Fire Boards had a definite advantage in that the insurance representatives on these Boards were able to bring some degree of expert knowledge to assist in the development and administration of the fire-protection service. It must be admitted that there is serious doubt whether regional amalgamation of Fire Boards would result in either greater efficiency or in saving of cost, except in the metropolitan areas where contiguous local authority districts are in question. Experience at both Auckland and Dunedin has evidenced a marked improvement in both respects under the metropolitan Fire Board control. The services of the insurance members of Fire Boards have undoubtedly been of considerable value in the past in the majority of fire districts, and the services of individual members have been outstanding and, in fact, largely responsible for the excellent conditions existing in a number of towns. In individual cases, however, particularly in the South Island, there has been noted a tendency on the part of these members to restrict the Fire Board expenditure below the point at which a satisfactory standard of efficiency can be maintained. The overriding consideration is apparently the relationship of insurance contribution to premium income. There appears, moreover, to have been no attempt on the part of the insurance members to set up any definite standards of equipment, training, or organization for towns of varying population, fire-fighting conditions, and property at risk. This is one of the most important and valuable functions which could have been expected from these members and one which, had it existed generally, would have gone a long way to justify the existing system of independent Fire Board control. Reference to the annual and average expenditure tables at the end of this report will illustrate the point and show great variation in expenditure on the fire-protection service which exists in towns of comparative size and population. The supervision over the administration of the fire service which will be exercised by the Central Insurance Council under the proposals set out below should be even more valuable to the service than the attendance of insurance members at quarterly Fire Board meetings. The members of the Council will undoubtedly obtain a wider experience by reason of the fact that the activities of all fire districts will come under their review, and comparisons can more readily be made as to the requirements of towns having similar conditions. The proposals have not yet been fully considered by the Municipal Association. The view appears, however, to be generally held that the fire-protection service of a town is a civic function and one which should be controlled by the municipality. It is also maintained that an efficient service

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can be provided by the latter at a much lower cost than by an independent controlling-authority owing to the fact that the general administration, keeping of accounts, supply of stores and equipment, and other functions of the Fire Board can be conveniently dove-tailed in with other municipal activities. It is admitted that the fact that the insurance companies contribute to the cost of the fire service should be recognized by giving the insurance interests some say in the administration. The proposal set out below for supervision by a Central Insurance Council appears to meet this requirement. Certain difficulties have been raised with respect to liaison, but these could probably be overcome by the appointment of a representative of the Municipal Association to the Central Council. There would appear to be no objection to this. As indicated in my last report, one of the most common objections by the municipalities to the formation of fire districts under the existing legislation is the fact that when a fire district is formed the municipal authority loses all control of the service, and particularly of expenditure, and has to pay whatever levies are demanded by the Fire Board. It is alleged that invariably a considerable increase in annual expenditure takes place, and the result in most cases is that, despite the insurance contribution, the cost of the fire-protection service to the local authority increases under Fire Board control. There are several important factors which are lost sight of in this contention. In most cases a Fire Board has not been formed until the fire-protection service of a town has been allowed to reach a stage where complete reorganization is necessary. The Fire Board is also required to repay to the local authority the value of the existing plant and equipment estimated as a going concern. It must also be noted that in a number of cases it has been found on investigation that the Fire Brigade account of the local authority, on which the contention is based, is not charged with expenses such as rental, or, alternatively, interest and sinking fund on the cost of the station, plant, and equipment — the capital cost of these being buried in the general loan account. Administrative and other services rendered by the local authority staff are also not taken into consideration, but are, of course, always charged in the Fire Board accounts. It has also been ascertained that in a number of cases where the local authority has claimed to operate an efficient service at a low cost the Brigade has, by the holding of social functions and collections from the public, contributed largely both to the capital and maintenance costs of the service. The brigade officers in most of these cases give their time voluntarily and should be free to devote their whole attention to the organization and training of the brigade. The insurance contribution, which it is proposed should be made general, will avoid the necessity at present existing for the brigade officers to carry the responsibility of the finance as well as of the fire-fighting. It is important that any amendment in the existing law should not have the effect of reducing the standard of service which has been provided by the Fire Boards. This would be an essential condition of agreement to any proposals by both the fire underwriters and the volunteer firemen. The proposals for supervision by the Insurance Council and the right of the latter to proceed to arbitration if necessary with respect to proposals of the local authority, which are regarded as unsatisfactory from an efficiency point of view, would appear to offer the necessary safeguard. Another factor which is giving some concern to the municipal authorities is the action taken by the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs in refusing to consent to the formation of additional Fire Boards. This is quite logical in view of the Government policy for the amalgamation of existing local authorities, but the effect is that in districts where a Fire Board does not already exist there is no method available by which the municipality can obtain any contribution from the insurance companies towards the cost of the fire-protection service. This is a matter of major concern to some of the larger boroughs owing to the fact that the improved conditions of service and other factors have resulted in considerably increased costs of operation during the last few years. The discussions at the Fire Brigade Conference in New Plymouth in February last indicated that proposals on the lines indicated would be acceptable provided that the volunteer status of the brigades was not affected, that the association maintained its position as the authority representing the brigadesmen generally, and that the existing arrangements for financial support were not disturbed. The suggestion was made that a representative of the association should be appointed to the Central Insurance Council for liaison purposes, and in view of the fact that practically 90 per cent, of the firemen are volunteers this suggestion appears to be reasonable. The proposals intended to give effect to the desiderata set out in my last annual report were submitted to the interested parties in general terms only, and the following outline of the proposals modified to meet the views set out above is now submitted for further consideration :— (1) That the administration of the fire-protection service in existing fire districts be handed back to the municipal authorities except in the Metropolitan areas or where, by reason of the contiguity of their respective districts, it is desirable that one authority should control the fire-protection service of the combined areas. Notes.—(a) Experience both in this and other countries shows that it is essential for efficiency of operation in contiguous areas that the respective fire brigades should either be under one control or that provision be made for co-operation and backing-up service. Of these alternatives, the former is definitely preferable. Typical cases for consideration are the Lower Hutt and Petone area, and the North Shore boroughs in Auckland. It would be practicable to operate these either as separate units or as part of the metropolitan organization. Neither of these alternatives has any great advantage from an efficiency point of view, and the question could therefore be left to the preference of the local authorities concerned. (6) The above clause sets out the principle which is considered desirable. It could, if necessary to meet the wishes of the interests concerned and without greatly affecting the general efficiency of the scheme, be modified to retain the existing Fire Board organization in the secondary cities and the larger towns. It is suggested for consideration, however, that it would be difficult to justify the retention of an independent controlling authority in towns with a population of less than five thousand.

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(2) That all municipal districts (whether boroughs or Town Boards) which are not already fire districts and which have, or are prepared to establish, a water-supply which is reasonably effective for fire-fighting purposes and a fire-brigade organization, be empowered to constitute their districts as fire districts. Note.—lt is a matter for consideration whether the legislation should provide for the constitution of lire districts after the taking of a poll of ratepayers, as under the present Fire Brigade Act, by vote of the municipal authority, or, in the event of agreement prior to preparation of the legislation, by inclusion in a schedule to the Act. (3) That provision be made for the setting-up by the municipal authority of a Fire Brigade Committee consisting of not less than three members of the municipal authority. Such Fire Brigade Committee would, subject to such modifications as are considered necessary, have all the powers and duties of a Fire Board under the existing Fire Brigades Act. Provision should be made that the Fire Brigade Committee may, and if required by the Minister shall, co-opt not more than two representatives of insurance companies, resident in the district. Note.—The provision regarding the co-opting of insurance members could, if necessary, be made specific by Schedule to the Act in the case of the larger towns, and this arrangement may be acceptable to all concerned in lieu of the retention of the existing Fire Board organization. There would appear to be no objection to a co-opted member being Chairman of the Committee. It is noted that in many cases at present an insurance member is Chairman of the Fire Board, although the local members are in the majority. (4) That in order to give the insurance companies the share in the control of the fire service justified by their contributions, a Central Fire Council be established in Wellington, this Council to consist of not less than five representatives elected by the insurance companies, one member nominated by the Municipal Association, one member nominated by the United Fire Brigades' Association, and not more than two members appointed by the Government. Notes.—(a) In order to maintain the predominantly insurance character of the Council the provision could be made that a majority of insurance members be included in the statutory quorum. Provision for alternate representation in the event of illness or absence from Wellington might also be considered. (6) In view of the fact that the Central Council would have general supervision over the whole fire-protection service it would probably involve a considerable number of meetings, particularly during the first few years. The payment of honoraria should therefore be considered. (5) The functions of the Central Council would be— (i) To consider and approve the annual estimates of expenditure in fire districts and the general provisions made for fire-protection : (ii) To arrange for the inspection of brigades to an extent sufficient to establish a reasonable measure of co-ordination and standardization of plant, equipment, and training : (iii) To carry out research work with respect to the organization and training of brigades and the development of plant and equipment for fire-fighting purposes. Notes.—(a) The provisions with respect to matters which would come under review of the Central Fire Council should be drawn as widely as possible. They should, for instance, permit the Council to make representations to the local committee with respect to matters such as the appointment or efficiency of officers, the character of plant and equipment required, fire-alarm system, and general turnout organization. (b) The appointment of a technical executive officer will probably be essential both for inspection and general co-ordination work and also to deal with matters such as the service conditions of the brigade staffs. It will probably be found desirable to arrange with the controlling authorities of the senior brigades for inspection work to be carried out by approved officers of these brigades. Provision should therefore be made for payment to the controlling authority concerned for the time occupied in such work. (c) Investigation and research, suggested as one of the Council's functions, would also probably be conveniently carried out through the senior brigades, and provision should be made for reimbursement to the authority concerned for the costs of these investigations. (6) That in order to provide the necessary liaison between the local authority administering the fire-protection service and the Central Council, arrangements should be made that copies of all executive and technical reports submitted to the Fire Brigade Committee, and on which their decisions are based, should be forwarded to the Central Council. Note.—The converse would also apply, and the reports of the inspection and executive officers of the Central Council with respect to individual districts would be forwarded to the local committee. (7) That the costs of the local fire-protection service be divided equally between the municipal authority and the insurance companies operating in the district—levies to be made on the latter in the same manner as under the existing legislation—and that the cost of the Central Fire Council be met out of Government grant. Note.—ln the case of the smaller districts the saving in overhead resulting from the takingover of administration by the local authority should compensate for the withdrawal of the small Government grant made under the existing legislation. It is presumed that the Government would be prepared to maintain, or perhaps even increase, the total amount of the existing grant to the service. Some equitable arrangement could probably be arrived at for distribution of this grant between the Central Fire Council and the cities where most of the Government property requiring fire-protection is situated.

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(8) That, in order to limit the liability of the contributing local authority, a maximum be prescribed for the annual expenditure which could be enforced in each fire district, such maximum to be fixed by reference to the population on the lines suggested in the last report, on an empirical basis by Schedule to the Act, or other suitable means ; and that provision be made that this limit of expenditure shall not be exceeded except with the consent of the municipality, the Central Council, and the Minister. (9) That in the event of a difference of opinion arising between the Central Council and the Fire Brigade Committee of the municipality, the Council would have a right to have an investigation made by a member, and, if necessary, a technical representative also, whose expenses would be paid 011 the same basis as those of insurance members of Fire Boards under existing legislation. In the event of failure to agree after this investigation and discussion with the Fire Brigade Committee the question at issue to be decided by arbitration. (10) That with respect to the raising of loan-moneys provision be made that, except in the case of united fire districts, loans for fire-protection purposes will be raised by the municipality. This will enable them to be treated as trustee securities, which is not possible under the existing legislation. (11) That the estimates of expenditure of the independent controlling-authorities existing under the amended legislation be forwarded to the Central Council for review. In the event of it being determined to maintain the existing system of Ministerial approval of all fire-district estimates, such estimates to be forwarded through the Central Council, which shall have the right of comment and recommendation to the Minister. Causes of Fire. The causes of fire in fire districts are set out in Table I attached. An examination of the table discloses no reasons for modification of the inferences drawn in the last annual report. As is but natural, the year's returns show considerable fluctuations in some cases both from the previous year and from the average, but a comparison of the long-term tables for the cities brings out clearly the major causes of fire loss. The losses shown as " cause unknown " bear, as usual, a high ratio to the total loss, but this is not indicative of the existence of causes of high fire losses other than those enumerated. The fact is that in a number of fires shown as " cause unknown " total destruction of the building occurred, thus removing any evidence of the cause. Inspections. The inspection work carried out was less than in previous years owing to my absence from duty for two months due to ill-health. About half of the brigades were inspected during the year. Close touch was kept with the activities of all districts by means of newspaper-cuttings, and, where necessary, several visits were made. The conditions found were generally satisfactory, and it is pleasing to report that most of the brigades are maintaining a high standard of training. Tests on the water-supply were made in a considerable number of towns, and recommendations made to the Boards concerned as to the development of the brigade organization and the purchase of new plant and equipment. A number of reports were also made with regard to the fire-protection of Government buildings and to the local Government Loans Board on loan proposals for fire-protection, water-supply, and water-reticulation services. Attached are statistical tables covering both the year under review and also averages taken over a period of years. I have, &c., R. Girling-Butoher, Inspector of Fire Brigades.

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Table I.— Causes of Fire.

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Cities over 20,000 Population: All Fire Districts : Seven-year Average, 1/4/31-31/3/38. Year ending 31st March, 1938. Dwellings. Business Premises. Total. Dwellings. Business Premises. Total. Number j Number Number Number Number Number of I Fire Loss. of Fire Loss. of Fire Loss. of j Fire Loss. of Fire Loss. of Fire Loss. Fires. Fires. Fires. Fires. Fires. Fires. • 1 I i | I ££££££ Defective electrical installations .. .. .. .. 1*1 50 1-4 51 2-6 101 1 5 1 77 2 82 Electric irons and radiators left on .. .. .. 16-7 2,779 7-3 2,432 24-0 5,211 18 4,359 11 2,742 29 7,101 Short circuits and overheating .. .. •• •• 6-4 304 15-4 1,888 21-9 2,192 15 460 24 6,488 39 6,948 Other electrical faults .. .. .. .. .. 2-1 191 4-7 384 6-9 575 5 1,612 15 955 20 2,567 Gas explosions .. .. .. .. .. 1-0 61 0-4 2 1-4 63 1 4 1 2 2 6 Gas-rings, &c., left on or in contact with curtains, &c. .. 6-7 614 4-0 299 10-7 913 9 2,118 8 128 17 2,246 Defective gas-installations .. .. .. .. 3-3 113 0-9 96 4-1 209 6 259 1 73 7 332 Candles in contact with curtains, &c. .. .. .. 5-9 546 0-6 2 6-4 547 3 15 1 1 4 16 Lamps, stoves —overturned or exploded .. .. .. 2-3 87 1*1 27 3-4 115 3 4 1 120 4 124 Miscellaneous, due to naked lights .. .. .. 4-6 653 3-3 163 7-9 816 11 392 5 754 16 1,146 Defective chimneys and flues .. .. .. .. 18-1 1,481 4-6 261 22-7 1,742 26 2,338 7 4,472 33 6,810 Defective hearths, fireplaces, and furnaces .. .. 19-0 860 2-9 295 21-9 1,155 24 1,778 5 194 29 1,972 Defective hot-water systems .. .. .. .. 1*7 291 0-7 79 2-4 370 3 226 4 547 7 773 Lighted match dropped .. .. .. .. 16*0 2,514 9-6 4,168 25-6 6,682 5 214 6 475 11 689 Children playing with matches .. .. .. .. 9-0 215 2-6 127 11-6 342 23 244 4 32 27 276 Smoking in bed .. .. .. .. .. 4-3 193 .. .. 4-3 193 9 937 .. .. 9 937 Cigarette or cigar butts dropped .. .. .. 11-0 1,074 11-3 3,745 22-3 4,820 23 1,810 11 3,535 34 5,345 Ashes from pipes, sparks from cigarettes .. .. .. 2-4 321 0-6 52 3-0 373 3 1,600 1 4 4 1,604 Rats chewing matches .. .. .. .. .. 0-6 10 0-6 156 1*1 166 1 1,310 .. .. 1 1,310 Miscellaneous causes —smoking and matches .. .. 4-7 353 2-1 904 6-9 1,258 17 1,135 7 4,744 24 5,879 Sparks from fireplaces, furnaces, &c. .. .. .. 34-7 3,100 11-3 1,050 46-0 4,151 63 4,874 11 805 74 5,679 Airing clothes before a fire .. .. .. .. 4*0 926 2-1 164 6-1 1,090 8 424 7 273 15 697 Ashes placed in wooden boxes, &c. .. .. .. 9-7 434 4-0 131 13-7 564 24 967 5 22 29 989 Heating tar, polishes, &c. .. .. .. .. 5-7 • 232 9-4 1,961 15 1 2,193 9 160 24 7,380 33 7,540 Spontaneous combustion .. .. .. .. 2*0 334 5-9 3,790 7*9 4,124 2 353 14 2,366 16 2,719 Allowing benzine, &c., near naked lights . .. .. 6-7 335 4-9 519 11-6 853 6 99 8 608 14 707 Arson .. .. .. .. .. 3-7 396 1-9 641 5-6 1,037 3 1,499 4 402 7 1,901 Suspicious origin .. .. . .. .. 8-3 2,802 5-4 7,336 13-7 10,138 7 1,032 4 3,304 11 .4,336 Overheating of and sparks from machinery .. .. .. .. 5-4 1,394 5-4 1,394 .. .. 6 568 6 568 Sparks from bush and gorse fires .. .. .. 3-6 129 1*0 33 4-6 162 3 28 2 71 5 99 Sparks from rubbish fires .. .. .. .. 6-4 265 3-4 160 9-9 425 8 792 6 132 14 924 Sparks from chimneys, locomotives, &c. .. .. .. 8-6 168 8-9 928 17-5 1,095 12 77 9 229 21 306 Blow-lamps used for burning off paint .. .. 15-7 677 1-4 25 17-1 702 20 1,182 2 1,659 22 2,841 Fires spread from other buildings .. .. .. 7-4 1,696 3-3 113 10-7 1,809 4 40 7 969 11 1,009 Miscellaneous known causes .. .. .. .. 12-7 578 19-0 2,187 31-7 2,765 21 521 21 3,765 42 4,286 Unknown causes .. .. .. .. .. 73-1 23,557 56-6 63,633 129-7 87,190 99 20,722 121 68,681 220 89,403 Total .. .. .. .. .. 339-2 48,339 218-0 99,196 557-4 147,535 495 53,590 364 116,577 859 170,167 Loss per fire — Known causes .. .. .. .. .. .. 93 .. 220 . . 141 .. 83 .. 197 . . 126 Unknown causes .. .. .. .. .. .. 322 .. 1,124 .. 672 .. 209 .. 568 .. 406 All causes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 143 .. 455 .. 265 .. 108 ! 320 .. 198

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Table II.—Miscellaneous Statistics for Fire Districts for Year ending 31st March, 1938.

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Tnsnranrp ATnmhpr Insurancesj Insured Uninsured I Authorized District Popula- Rateable Companies Tf ing™oss Pr Fire Loss, District. H Capital Value. Premium Fire of Property Buildings Buiklmgs j®o 8 s endlnf Ineome Calls Pro. involved and and lj08s - ending income. Calls. Ko- i - n Contents. Contents. March, £ £ £ £ £ £ £ Auckland Metro- 178,200 68,330,064 194,448 950 198 2,686,744 34,010 3,401 37,411 40,040 politan Balelutha .. 1,710 298,692 1,593 13 4 1,100 505 125 630 468 Birkenhead .. 3,450 772,386 3,815 5 2 500 63 27 90 590 Cambridge .. 2,270 637,505 2,773 6 .. .. .. .. 540 Christchurch .. 93,400 27,433,885 92,963 393 95 283,027 8,350 940 9 290 16 900 Dannevirke .. 4,430 1,408,885 5,291 16 9 6,505 725 60 785 '860 Dargaville .. 2,240 503,282 2,957 7 5 2,070 5,643 350 5,993 630 Dunedin .. 77,420 20,287,692 77,338 651 91 231,935 8,522 520 9 042 19 300 Eltham .. 1,900 372,627 1,699 4 4 1,650 37 20 ' 57 '528 Feilding .. 4,700 1,447,454 5,006 11 2 4,445 1,309 . 1 309 760 Foxton.. .. 1,590 251,861 1,321 7 5 8,875 3,221 1,314 4'535 380 Gisborne .. 13,850 4,016,757 18,600 38 15 49,307 5,682 218 5,900 2 141 Greyraouth .. 8,340 1,419,105 7,567 16 7 4,265 1,197 440 1 637 l'o65 Hamilton .. 17,450 5,390,822 16,123 88 15 61,313 6,600 149 6'749 5'664 Hastings .. 13,300 3,697,432 14,256 51 12 8,410 1,990 528 2'518 2'415 Hawera .. 4,760 1,372,974 6,550 23 10 16,745 407 8 '415 ]'99-! Hikurangi .. 1,020 122,655 757 3 2 760 21 3 24 'l96 Hokitika .. 2,730 407,272 3,128 5 1 3,000 25 25 617 Invercargill .. 22,300 5,660,288 22,748 138 31 121,378 11,985 350 12 335 5 68' Kaiapoi .. 1,610 291,680 1,859 3 2 1,525 80 80 '548 Kaitangata .. 1,340 102,192 1,028 2 2 1,850 1,352 250 1 602 128 Lawrence .. 660 57,840 590 1 .. .. .. 100 Levin .. .. 2,720 781,102 3,144 8 2 4,052 512 " *512 559 Masterton .. 9,350 2,657,392 10,936 47 15 31,114 5,326 86 5 412 4 085 Milton .. .. 1,400 237,428 1,905 5 3 700 90 15 105 '225 Morrmsville .. 1,920 478,167 2,226 18 I 400 149 149 63'? Napier.. .. 15,700 4,337,081 22,999 49 12 23,955 890 "24 914 4 910 Nelson .. .. 11,400 3,142,699 14,872 34 7 10,495 1,139 3 1 142 2*924 New Plymouth .. 17,150 4,816,374 15,427 47 11 20,670 1,547 343 l'890 3'428 Oamaru.. .. 7,560 1,551,288 7,073 11 4 7,800 2,160 70 2'230 l'l95 Ohakune .. 1,390 99,670 901 11 1 675 1 10 11 '436 Opotiki .. 1,480 343,789 1,756 7 4 6,250 185 185 530 Otaki .. .. 1,780 304,616 1,616 ...... 370 Pahiatua .. 1,710 376,547 3.043 5 4 2,600 l'<518 " 1*618 870 Palmerston North 22,900 6,581,283 26,267 168 40 90,370 9.148 1 878 11*026 10 360 Petone .. 11,050 3,315,058 13,807 33 11 6,431 1,227 420 l',647 2*335 Port Chalmers .. 2,100 302,691 1,687 5 24' Pukekohe .. 2,630 831,039 2,394 7 5 4,825 *478 'ioo *578 790 Rotorua .. 6,440 1,454,436 6,672 24 4 3,410 1,318 40 l 358 1 276 Taihape.. .. 2,190 415,667 3,205 .... ' 471 Taumarunui .. 2,730 587,738 2,559 6 I 500 *258 " '958 559 Tauranga .. 3,660 1,016,628 4,393 13 2 2,140 360 '488 848 671 ToAroha .. 2,420 759,055 3,916 9 3 2,033 889 50 939 470 TeAwamutu .. 2,410 706,644 2,947 9 3 1,810 298 8 306 589 Timaru .. .. 17,650 4,946,600 15,100 60 12 24,060 750 35 785 3 380 Waihi .. 3,990 300.641 2,381 25 7 19,365 4,200 7 4 207 'eiO Waipukurau .. 2,090 466,028 2,566 7 3 17,335 815 40 ' 855 400 Wairoa .. .. 2,550 547,973 3,513 10 2 7,390 74 15 89 641 Waitara .. 2,020 334,522 1,886 3 2 730 60 35 95 314 Wanganui .. 23,350 6,044,135 26,714 170 42 47,207 4,691 413 5 104 8 38" Wellington .. 117,900 44,499,155 158,369 1,108 127 1,002,964 23,176 594 23 770 41*400 Westport .. 4,280 566,580 4,054 13 6 15,600 704 10 *714 '700 Whakatane .. 1,860 432,595 2,211 9 2 3,250 49 49 866 Whangarei .. 7,350 2,384,920 7,828 21 11 11,850 1,628 1,316 2 944 705 Woodville .. 1,040 171,334 1,147 .. .. .. 367 774,840 240,074,225 861,924 4,373 859 4,865,385 155,415 14,752 170,167 197,245 L

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Table IIa.—Average Statistics for all Fire Districts which have been in Operation for the Fifteen Years 1924-38.

8

, r • ■ , , Insurance I Fires P er Highest Fire District. Population. ! Municipal Rates per Insurance SI, Number of 1.000 of Loss in any FirpTniiS Fire Loss Loss per Fire Brigade Kates. Head. ! Premiums. j "eimums | Fires. Popula- Individual Fire Loss - per Head. Fire. Expenditure ? er District. 1 ' tion. Year. Head. 1 * i I I I i £ j £ s. d. £ £ s. d. £ £ £sd £ £ s d Auckland Metropolitan* 133,496 659,023 4 18 9 180,587 1 7 1 191 1-43 114,709 61,246 0 9 2 320 25,128 3 9 Auckland Mtrrm * Balclutha .. .. 1,579 3,746 2 7 5 2,002 1 5 4 2 1-34 7,090 827 0 10 6 376 316 4 0 Balclutha Christchurch .. .. 88,749 235,020 2 12 11 110,818 1 5 0 129 1-43 95,575 39,193 0 8 10 305 13,227 3 0 Christchureh Dannevn-ke .. .. 4,408 11,422 2 11 10 7,385 1 13 6 3 0-69 8,680 1,037 0 4 8 340 692 3 1 Dannevirke ' Dargaville .. .. 2,073 12,421 5 19 10 j 3,532 1 14 1 5 2-28 ' 5,993 2,366 1 2 10 500 555 5 4 Darsa^lle Dunedm Metropolitan 69,591 197,661 2 16 10 | 80,185 1 3 0 105 1-51 59,793 25,400 0 7 3 242 14 450 4 2 TWrHn Mtmltn Eeilding .. .. 4,497 16,258 3 12 3 6,522 1 9 0 6 1-23 5,044 1,638 0 7 3 296 '717 3 2 TVildi™ Foxton •• 4,859 2 16 6 1,789 1 0 10 4 2-21 6,830 2,590 1 10 1 682 455 5 3 Foxton Gisborne .. .. 13,855 62,338 4 10 0 22,779 1 12 11 21 1-52 24,240 10,747 0 15 6 510 2,492 3 7 Gisborne Greymouth .. .. 6,471 17,760 2 14 11 7,514 1 3 2 9 1-36 32,174 8,065 1 4 11 913 1,025 3 2 Greymouth. Hamilton .. .. 15,533 59,336 3 16 5 j 20,482 1 6 4 19 1-24 25,746 4,426 0 5 8 230 2 832 3 8 Hamilton Hastings .. .. 11,599 36,698 3 3 3 15,958 1 7 6 17 1-51 24,504 6,868 0 11 10 393 1,854 3 2 Hasting Hawera .. .. 4,682 15,802 ! 3 7 6 ; 7,699 1 12 11 8 1-69 11,876 1,715 0 7 3 216 1 230 5 3 Hawera Hokitika .. .. 2 > 5^ 7 3,972 1 11 4 2,935 1 3 1 5 1-85 .8,591 2,302 0 18 1 491 591 4 8 Hokitika Invercargill .. .. 19,824 71,965 3 12 7 23,428 1 3 8 36 1-80 47,221 13,453 0 13 7 378 5,279 5 4 Invercargill Kaiapoi .. .. 1,701 2,272 1 6 9 2,357 1 5 9 4 2-23 25,984 3,335 1 19 4 882 640 7 6 K^noi Kaitangata .. .. 1,459 1,706 .1 3 5; 1,109 0 15 2 2 1-23 4,343 931 0 12 7 517 157 2 2 Kaitansmta Lawrence .. .. 663 1,307 ] 1 19 5 706 1 1 3 1 1-79 3,770 393 0 11 10 330 93 2 10 Lawrence Levin .. .. 2,607 6,396 2 9 0 3,739 1 8 8 5 1-81 9,745 1,945 0 14 11 411 612 4 8 Le^n Masterton .. .. 8,678 27,541 3 3 6 12,553 1 8 11 13 1-51 18,539 5,867 0 13 6 447 2,125 4 11 Masterton Milton .. .. 1,509 4,071 2 13 11 2,178 1 8 10 2 1-01 1,000 152 0 2 0 99 184 2 5 Milton Napier .. lo,8o7 58,375 3 13 7 26,769| 113 9f 20* 1-27 32,161 10,657} 0 13 5 531 4,060 5 1 Napier' New Plymouth .. 15,o60 06,438 3 12 6 18,528 1 3 10 16 1-01 9,593 4,700 0 6 0 300 2,023 2 7 New Plymouth Oamaru .. .. 7,450 26,609 3 11 5 7,914 1 1 3 7 0-89 23,878 4,088 0 11 0 614 1 090 2 11 Oamaru Ohakune .. .. 1,465 2,349 j 1 12 0 1,342 0 18 4 5 3-37 11,825 2,978 2 0 8 604 405 5 6 Ohakune Palmerston North .. 20,443 72,477 3 10 11 30,342 1 9 8 35 1-73 31,637 12,643 0 12 4 358 4,228 4 1 Palmerston North Petone .. .. 10,540 27,001 2 11 2 13,413 1 5 5 9 0-89 5,070 1,784 0 3 5 190 1 713 3 3 Petone Port Chalmers .. 2,488 4,622 1 17 2 2,191 0 17 7 3 1-06 2,135 686 0 5 6 260 245 2 0 Port Chalmers Rotorua .. .. 5,229 9,716 1 17 2 7,002 1 6 10 8 1-66 7,416 2,442 0 9 4 289 1,067 4 1 Rotorua Taumarunui .. .. 2,510 8,403 3 6 11 3,190 1 5 5 6 2-44 7,942 2,116 0 16 10 345 520 4 1 'I'lumaninui Tauranga .. .. 2,965 8,078 2 14 6 4,228§ 1 8 5§ 4 1-41 11,457 2,395 0 16 2 571 647 4 4 Tauranga TeAroha .. .. 2,427 6,380 2 12 7 3,829 111 7 4 1-71 4,426 1,718 0 14 2 414 587 4 10 TeAroha' Timaru .. .. 16,62b 54,756 3 5 10 17,662 1 1 3 17 1-01 19,457 4,600 0 5 6 275 2,569 3 1 Timaru Waihi .. .. 3,510 4,899 1 7 11 2,767 0 15 9 10 2-77 5,909 2,857 0 16 3 294 682 3 11 wShi Waitara .. .. 1,850 4,309 2 6 7 2,471 1 6 9 2 0-82 5,044 1,470 0 15 11 974 232 2 6 Wa tara Wanganui .. .. 24,24o 97,629 4 0 6 34,066 1 10 1 38 1-55 14,074 7,773 0 6 5 207 7 114 5 10 Wanaanui Whangarei .. .. 7,011 25,643 3 13 2 8,037 1 2 11 8 1-15 36,569 5,500 0 15 8 682 1,007 2 11 Whangarei. 537,407 1,919,258 3 11 5 j 700,008 1 6 0 776 1-44 ~ 262,903 (TT~9 339 102,843 3I0 " Fourteen years'average, [1,499,861 j 5,424,028 3 12 4 1,825,673 1 4 4 t U 1,636,119 980,750 0 13 3 «T Fourteen whole Dominion j j 11 "" uullccn y^a average, whole ! __J I Dominion. * Includes statistics for Onehunga, Mount Eoskill, and Newmarket Fire Boards from date of inception to date of incorporation in Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board. f Eleven-year average. j Fourteen-vear average 5 Twelve vear average Figures not available. - ° 8 nvwvc-jtau d,veid.ge.

fl. 12

Table IIIb.— Average Statistics for other Fire Districts.

Table IV.— Areas protected by Fire Boards.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (2,270 copies), £20.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington.—1938

Price 6d.]

2—H. 12.

9

|g££ Population. 1 pe f^ d . £=. |= ' 3tt SF | ISEsT "» *-• !&&£ !^! j. I * ears.; j pei jae<tu.. | tion. Year. tun. ncdU - £ £ s. d. £ £ s. d. £ £ £ s. d. £ £ s. d. Birkenhead .. 6 3,432 12,706 3 ]4 0 3,986 1 3 2 2 0-48 802 204 0 1 2 123 527 3 1 Birkenhead. Cambridge .. 7 2,206 7,579 3 8 9 3,109 1 8 2 3 1-18 3,175 1,142 0 10 4 439 472 4 3 Cambridge. Eltham .. .. 14 2,009 6,517 3 4 11 2,451 1 4 5 3 1-60 2,672 921 0 9 2 287 453 4 6 Eltham. Hikurangi .. 10 1,173 2,283 1 18 11 1,084 0 18 6 1 1-18 1,204 342 0 5 10 246 209 3 7 Hikurangi. Morrinsville .. 2 1,885 8,529 4 10 6 2,311 1 4 6 1 0-27 149 75 0 0 10 150 581 6 2 Morrinsville. Nelson .. .. 5 11,282 37,115 3 5 10 16,064 1 8 6 11 0-94 3,924 1,896 0 3 4 179 2,169 3 10 Nelson. Opotiki .. .. 9 1,362 3,950 2 18 0 1,362 1 9 4 3 2-29 3,609 732 0 10 9 235 521 9 5 Opotiki. Otaki .. .. 13 1,645 4,619 2 16 2 1,840* 1 2 4* 3 1-82 6,659 1,242 0 15 1 414 348 4 3 Otaki. Pahiatua .. .. 12 1,565 4,145 2 12 11 3,339 2 2 8 3 1-86 11,775 2,456 1 11 4 844 405 5 2 Pahiatua. Pukekohe.. .. 12 2,528 12,462 4 18 7 3,080 1 4 4 3 1-13 5,680 748 0 5 11 262 694 5 6 Pukekohe. Taihape .. .. 8 2,355 9,084 3 17 1 3,601 1 10 7 1 0-53 856 174 0 1 6 139 522 4 5 Taihape. Te Awamutu .. 11 1,972 10,087 5 2 3 3,285 1 13 4 3 1-52 4,510 980 0 9 6 327 501 5 1 Te Awamutu. Waipukurau .. 12 1,985 6,438 3 4 5 3,023 1 10 6 4 1-81 7,167 1,534 0 15 5 427 350 3 6 Waipukurau. Wairoa .. .. 12 2,481 10,372 4 3 7 4,035 1 12 6 5 1-91 101,707f 10,874f 4 7 8 2,289 570 4 7 Wairoa. Wellington .. 12 111,283 477,972 4 5 11 184,311 1 13 1 176 1-58 294,070 77,973 0 14 0 444 28,789 5 2 Wellington. Westport .. .. 14 4,014 9,352 2 6 7 4,247 1 1 2 5 1-35 11,989 3,058 0 15 3 563 647 3 2 Westport. Whakatane .. 1 1,860 .. .. 2,211 1 3 10 2 1-08 49 49 0 0 6 25 .. .. Whakatane. Woodville .. 7 1,085 2,861 2 12 9 1,365 1 5 2 2 2-24 4,116 1,053 0 19 5 433 369 6 10 Woodville. * Bight-year average. f Fire-loss figures corrected in accordance with returns supplied subsequently.

! j AT oa • | Insured Fire Uninsured District. Population. of Fire T 1Sr™ Protected by Remarks. | * j CalJs. ot Property. Contents . Contents. | j | ] | I ! £ £ £ £ Belfast (works only) .. .. .. 1 1 16,779 .. 16,779 Christchurch Fire Board .. .. Payment for attendances. Fairfield.. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. • ■ Hamilton Fire Board .. .. County pays £25 p.a. plus £5 for every call in excess of five. Feilding (works only) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . • Feilding Fire Board .. .. Payment for attendances. Hamilton (hospital only) .. .. .. .. .. .. . • • ■ Hamilton Fire Board .. .. Nominal payment. Hawera .. .. .. 605* 210,000 .. .. .. • • • ■ Hawera Fire Board .. .. County pays £75 p a. to Fire Board. Mangere.. .. .. 765* 522,000 .. .. .. •• •• Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board .. County pays £75 p.a. plus £5 for every call in excess of ten. New Lynn .. .. 3,570 .. .. .. . - • • • • Auckland Metropolitan Fire Board .. Borough pays £100 p.a. plus £5 for every call in excess of ten. Cashmere .. 1 f County pays £300 p.a. to Fire Board. Fendalton .. .. J>12,000* .. 45 11 7,105 127 7,232 Christchurch Fire Board .. .. County pays £450 p.a. to Fire Board. Riccarton .. .. J pays £450 p.a. to Fire Board. West Harbour (works only) .. .. •. • • • ■ • - • • Dunedin Metropolitan Fire Board .. Payment for attendances. 46 12 23,884 127 24,011 * Estimated.