PREVENTION OF FIRES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 465, 25 March 1909, Page 7

PREVENTION OF FIRES.

OFFICIAL INQUIRIES ADVOCATED, (BT TELEQEAPE— PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Dunedin, March 24. lae subject of attempting to lessen the frequency of fires by holding an official inquiry regarding every outbreak has been receiving considerable attention lately, and was mentioned at a meeting of the Dunedin iire Board to-day. Mr. Stronach made reference to the statement recently credited to inspector Hugo concerning the prevention of outbreaks of fire. Ho remarked that tho matter had been taken up by tbe newspapers, and it was said that the remedy would be an inquiry into every fire. He took that view himself, and it probably came within the functions of the board to express an opinion. Ho moved: "That this board is of opinion that tho view ascribed by tho newspapers to Inspector Hugo, namely, that a coroner's inquest should bo held as to the cause of every fire, is sound, and the Minister of Internal Affairs bo written to with the object of enlisting his support ia an effort to induce the Government to so arrange, and that a copy of the resolution bo forwarded to the other fire boards in tho Dominion."

_ Tho chairman was df opinion that an inquest held into every fire would, by making people more careful, considerably reduce the percentage of outbreaks. Mr. Wilson did not, see the advisability of holding an inquiry into the circumstances of every little lire, and favoured a scheme by which the holding of inquiries would bo subject to the discretion of the chairman. Otherwise, where wore they going to draw tho line?

In the general discussion which followed, Mr. Arkle expressed the opinion that the board' already possessed the power of holding inquiry into the causes of fires whenever it considered such necessary, and that the motion, in its 'present form, was thoreforo not necessary.

The motion was duly seconded and cartied.