WASTE BY FIRE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 49, 27 February 1913, Page 6

WASTE BY FIRE

New Zealand's fire waste is at tho rate of 12s a year per head of population, because the public conscience is slack on this subject, and because the careless do not have to fear a rigorous enquiry,. unless there is loss of life as well as property, or the police observe sufficient "suspicious circumstances" to induce a Coroner to order an investigation. During the eight years ended on 31st March last the total fire loss in this country was £4,540,116 (or £4 10s per head), excluding the maintenance of fire brigades, insurance companies, and other things incidental to the fire "industry." Ab the present rate of straight-out loss the annual bill is about £600,000, and when dependents (the majority of the population) ars subtracted, this means that the average charge against breadwinners is £1 10s a year. Every fire is a direct loss to New Zealand. Individual owners may re-cover insurance, but this does not comfort the public. The country as a whole is the ultimate payer of the insurance. When the value of the 1 property destroyed is added to the charges of insuring against fires and fighting the flames, the burden on this country of little more than a million people must be £1,000,000, or twice the cost of national defence (assuming this cost to be abnormal for this period, when some heavy, non-recurring expenditure has to be met). Once the United States had the world's record of about 10s a head for fire waste, but New Zealand has gone 2s higher. Is it not time that this grievous load was lightened? If the peaple; by ignorance of economics, or by thoughtlessness, are not amassed ai, Jbhe colossal loss, they have the right to expect that their representatives, paid to study, and paid to think, will make some stir. Yet reports of the devastation go by as lightly as the account of a garden fet6 or a football match. The authorities seem to believe that it is unreasonable to expect that breadwinners can escape an average payment of £1 10s a year for fires (in addition to the substantial indirect charges)— a total which is approaching £3 (including the marine account). ' The one obvious beginning must bt a syetem of searching enquiries. If a ship slighily grazes a rock, without sustaining any appreciable damage, there is an enquiry— rightly, because life as well as property is at stake in every chip. If tho least important member of tho community falls dead in the street, there is an enquiry— rightly, because this is part of an important protection for the individual and society, If a house is burnt, in a congested quarter, at tho risk of a conflagration, at the peril of lives as well ac immense damage to property, an enquiry is very exceptional. This grotesque neglect, a, scandalous dereliction of 'national duty by the people's representatives, has been etrceeed for years without avail. This gross stupidity puts a premium on carelee6ne6s, and invites tho cunning criminal to have a flar© for tho insurance on the furnituro or tho building. If his plans are well'laid, what-li&s he to fear ? The public, which cheerfully pays the aggregate of a million a year (on the basis set out above), will not' bo perturbed, and in .the absence of "suspicions circumstances" the police will not worry the Coroner much. At the Fire Boards Conference on Tuesday it was said that "an inquest might bo held by a Fire Board, but no provision was made for payment of costs." There is obviously muddloment in the law. The plaih fact to concern tho people, all tho people, who share the cost, is that enquiries are rave, whereas enquiries should be made into ©very occurrence described as ati "actual fire" in tho official returns. The Government's name, "Reform," obliges it to exercise legislative coinmon-eense in this matter at the earliest opportunity.

The Forestry Commission will leave for Invercargjll 10-morrow evening, and work its way northward through the South Island. Subsequently the commission -will go through tlio North Island. Mr. T\ Turner, of the Scenery Preservation Department, Ink- bi-cu ap pointed secretary Lo the lonimtMvion, ami Mr. W. H. Rubiell, of the Hansard stall,