The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1901. THE CHRISTCHURCH FIRE BRIGADE CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 59, 11 March 1901, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1901. THE CHRISTCHURCH FIRE BRIGADE CONFERENCE.

For the cause tiat lacis assistance, ?or the wrous tint needu resistance, Tor tie future In the distance, jnd the food that vo oan de.

The Fire Brigade Conference, lately held at Christchurch, was altogether a very interesting1 function, but perhaps the most important business of the session was the presentation of the report made by the delegates to the International Brigades Congress at Paris. Superintendents Smith (Christchureh) and Gilberd (Hawke's Bay) attended the Exhibition Congress as members of the British contingent of 150, representing all the large centres of Great Britain. On their journey they inspected the iire service at Sydney, Melbourne, Paris, London, Birmingham, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and minor cities; and their experiences, gathered over such, wide areas, should be of real and permanent value to this colony, where losses by fire are so heavy, and tttQ means of preventing them so generally inadequate. One valuable division of the report deals with the question of fire alarms. In New Zealand few towns have yet attained even a fairly high/ standard of efficiency in this respect. In Melbourne the combination of alarm box and telephone signal is found very effective. In America, automatic alarms are in great demand, especially those which signal to the brigade station, whenever the temperature of the building connected rises above a certain maximum. In New York, for example, an automax. sprinkler is largely in use, which1, whenever the temperature in tlie room thus protected rises to 160 degrees, gives an alarm, and at the same time turns a copious spray of water or chemicals on the incipient flame. Ul in Europe and America it is considered even more important to take precautions against the occurrence orr spread of fire than to give the alarm on its appearance . Many forms of fire-proof wood are now employed in building, rendered insensitive to fire by chemical treatment under heavy pressure. Care is now being taken to insulate pipes and flues with uninflammable substances. In building construction insurance companies are insisting that some attempt be made to guard agfainst the terrible danger of draughts, and in many large centres skylights and lilt wells are provided with shields to prevent currents of air from aiding the spread of the flames. Even more important than these precautions- are the means employed to assist the brigades in their heroic work of life-saving. It has now become possible to protect firemen from smoke by revolving fans and "exhausters," which will keep the air comparatively clear even in a blazing building. The American fire-escapes are models of ingenious efficiency; some of them with very little exertion on the part of either inmates or rescuers providing a continuous ladder from the summit of the loftiest building to the ground. When the automobile system—already describee! in these columns-^is generally applied to fire extinction, it. seems probable that modern science and invention will enable us to cope successfully with even the most dangerous conflagrations.

But in New Zealand we are far removed from such a satisfactory condition, and the report from which the above particulars are derived criticises the New Zealand fire services unsparingly. Nearly all the towns are supplied with fire-savjng material so antiquated as to be of very little value. The colonial representatives found that very great importance, es-

pecially in England, is attached to the use of chemical fire-engines; yet Christchurch is the only city in this colony where these fire extinguishers are in use. The essential features of rapidity in movement and promptitude in despatch seem to be largely neglected. The principal reason for these deficiencies is, in the opinion of Messrs. Smith & Gilberd, the unfortunate prejudice in favour of doing this sort of work cheaply, and their report shows plainly that this important public service cannot be carried on efficiently without very considerable expenditm-e. The most effective fire services in the World are, within certain limits, the most expensive. Our colonial expenditure under this head is, of course, ludicrously inadequate. Proportionate to population, the average lire savingoutlay in, New Zealand towns is about one-quarter of the outlay in the smaller American towns, and from onefifth to one-tenth of the corresponding- oiitlay in great cities. The result of course is that our fire record is extremely bad; not to mention the loss of various lives, about £300,000 worth of property was destroyed in this colony last year. The Christchurch report points out with great force that . such losses cannot be fully estimated by such a valuation, but that indirectly, as representing the "unprodui;-

tive consumption" of so much wealth, they are a serious drain upon the resources oi' tlie community. Insurance companies throughout the world 'are bestirring themselves to insist, upon more serious precautions for their risks. In America it has been widely advocated that the full indemnity should not be paid unless and until it can be shown that owner or occupier has made every exertion to guard against danger from fire. It is notorious that for a long time past the insurance companies have contemplated a serious advance in their

rates in some of our own towns. The Christcbureh report protests with good reason against the false conception of economy which constantly exposes us to the danger of such serious and unnecessai'y loss. The report includes a- strong recommendaton to the effect that the Government should take steps to collect all available information on the subject of fire prevention and extinction. This suggestion we cordially endorse; but it will be of little practical value until the citizens of our large towns become adequately impressed with the gravity of the situation. But if the Christchureh Conference has done anything to rouse the colony from the deplorable attitude of apathy which it maintains towards this important subject, the Commissioners who reported on the Paris Congress will have performed a great and meritorious public service.