SUMMONING ASSISTANCE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 April 1929, Page 4

SUMMONING ASSISTANCE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —Tiie education of the masses is by no means an undertaking which would result in an inundation of applicants resulting from the insertion of an advertisement calling for same. Rather is it accomplished by the citizen himself in inculcating into his own mind, a system of self-education based on deductions of cause and effect, viewed from the most reasonable angle. Now, sir, angles of viewpoint vary degrees of perspective in different individuals, hence perhaps a concensus of opinion will easily sway a hitherto reasonably arrived at conclusion. There are, no* doubt, many others, but certainly there are two in Hawera who seem not to have gone outside their own deductions in the matter of summoning our brigade to an outbreak, or a supposed outbreak. I am led to believe, sir, that when a box is pushed, the station has no way of accepting that call as anything but imperative (calls over the telephone, of course being excepted) and, as many of our brigadesmen live in outlying parts of Hawera, and oftimes, ns a natural consequence, the wind being in an unfavourable quarter the duration of an alarm may vary and perhaps seem unduly prolonged. If “Fed Up” and “More Noise” (who I notice covets yet another trophy for Hawera) found a strong hold of flames at their residences, and an alarm commensurate with their idea of such had been given, with the resultant “roll up” of half the complement of our brigade, I have not the slightest doubt that they would considerably air their feelings, and, in addition have no hesitancy m ordering a second alarm to* be sounded to enable those who did not hear tire first one to lend their assistance also*, with an added admonishment to: “This time. make it a long one.” Sir, perhaps the siren may offend many of us, I myself am no lover •of Its* warning either short or long, but let a little tolerance prevail as to the purpose for which it was installed, and if the fire demon does not directly touch us, let it bo remembered that property, and perhaps life, are the issue dependent on a speedy turn out. with a full complement of capable fire-fighters, then it is that the so-called annoyance of the sirens ominous warning is lost; the brigade commended and not unduly criticised. —I am, etc., “G. STRING.”