Hawke's Bay Hearld. MONDAY, MAY 3, 1880. FIRE RISKS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5678, 3 May 1880, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Hearld. MONDAY, MAY 3, 1880. FIRE RISKS.

The building regulations which the Municipal Council contemplate adopting have drawn considerable attention of late to the great risk oE destruction by iire to which wooden buildings are liable. Unfortunately, too, however careful a person may be himself he always runs the risk, particularly where houses arc built closely together, of sharing in the result of his neighbor's carlcssness. Indeed, in a block of wooden buildings in close contiguity, when once a fire starts there is no certainty of its ceasing until the whole is consumed. We have seen such a thing occur in one or two towns in lN T ew Zealand, though certainly they were not provided as Napier is with a high pressure water supply and a steam fire-engine. But even with these appliances the risk of a large conflagation amongst buildings that are in close contiguity is very great, and, as might be expected under such. circumstances, the rates of insurance arc proportionately high. The offices would, we are sure, be glad enough to be able to charge lower rates if the risk were diminished, but until that is done persons insuring must be content to pay heavy charges. It must be remembered, too, that besides the risk from accident or carelessness, there is the risk of incendiarism. This is, in fact, the greatest of the risks. Carelessness with kerosene lamps, reading in bed, rats and mice nibbling matches, and many other trivial causes get the credit for many a fire, but wo arc quite convinced that to the hand of the incendiary the origin of most conflagrations is due. For this tvil the insurance olllces are in some measure to blame. In their eagerness for business the3 r become incautious. The}' frequently accept most preposterous estimates of the value of property, and. they scarcely ever think of enquiring into the character oC 2 )Crstms applying to bo insured. And yet that is a verr important element in the risk. It may certainly occasionally occur that a man of respectable antecedents and of ijood. repute nil] commit even so heinous i cmno as in.-ci n li;iris:it, buf.Mhi!e thai tv.iuM Ijl' an exception;!) ease, we may bo ■juite sure ihai in a ncin. ral way a ;;ruri<.' jf (.lie kind is more likely to be commit (ed by the man whose character will bear but iltle investigation. Men •>f Iliat class ire only deterred from crime by the fear }f detection and consequent punishment. Unfortunately; however, detection rarely happens, as in nine cases out of ten the nost material evidence of the crime. is lostroyecl in the fire. Enough remains ,

perhaps to point tlie finger of suspicion tfpi tho incendiary, buf iiofc.su/llcicjit to,ob,tain,' a conviction -in a cf imiij£o:jepurKy':^S'till, .- when there is ii'/pp/mdjMi^^sc to ]itsti£y a "' a prosecution, : it has a l^idficial^epo.^ even though it may rcsult^^i asffvrttai;| WhcH'^:.nifit :r wHh a fe^lency||: y flfej : : raising sees that fee commission of it will ; in all likelihood put him on his trial for / the offence, he will be less ready to ruii'thc i ris'lcl It'is well therefore to liives-

tigate. every fire presenting circumstances of a.sUspicious nature, &ndwhe:n these'point jto any individual lie' should be proceeded .;ngainst, even though it may be certain ;thafc he will not be convicted. But even

'when the circumstances do not justify such a course the preliminary investigation is not profitless. It often serves to ;?u-infj to light very usefully matters which lotherwisc would bo hidden, and , the •knowledge 1 that f he 1 wiU^'havc to' undergo ;tlic ordeal o£ such ; .au inquiry- will ; not -be hvithout its effect oii a woutd'-be incen•diai\y\ Promptitude bnibho part of tho •Im'e Brigade is also serviceable as a deterrent to incendiarism, as it affords a cchance— though a small one, we admit — • 'ot staying the fire before the evidence of .its being wilfully caused is consumed in the blazing building. But whatever may be dove to deter men from the ci'iine there will always be those who will take their "chancoof detection, and therefore it is a wise precaution to have our buildings so cou'structed that if one's neighbor happens to set fire to his place there may not bo much difficulty in preventing the flames from spreading.