The North Otago Times FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1916 PREVENTION OF FIRES.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13667, 8 September 1916, Page 2

The North Otago Times FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1916 PREVENTION OF FIRES.

'lfyere arc ■several'points iii the report the superintendent .'of the Fire Brigade submitted at Monday's meeting of the Oamaru Fire Board, that should stir the Borough Council from the lethargy ..which seems lo have affected its administration.' It is l not our. intention' to debate tho"f|uestion of- whether the Borough Council is or is not incomparably worse or belter than ils predecessors. To determine this not very difficult

proposition, the ratepayers have but to look into municipal matters and decide for themselves. If they seek their monument, let them look around. The ratepayers, however, have a right to demand some reply from the civic authorities to the strongly condemnatory report prepared by the superintendent of the -Fire Brigade, b the report true or is it false? AVe.fear the'report is only too true! The superintendent draws attention to/' tlie' fact that nothing has bcfiil done to provide lire escapes from the various boardinghouses in the borough; nothing lias been done to mark the position of street hydrants in Thames street; visiting companies overcrowd the Opera House and block the exits and a serious loft of life is threatened should a lire occur during a performance. The prevalence of chimney fires is mentioned and the Fire Board were informed that the firemen who do

duty at the Opera House have no power to prevent overcrowding -ami the Borough .is without by-laws regulating the Opera House, The superintendent, referring to this highly important matter fays: "I beg (o inform you that nothing has been done!" "Tito ratepayers have the right to know why these matters have not been attended to, Officials arc paid by the Borough Council to discharge certain duties, but the Borough Council has lo accept llie responsibility for all llie sins of omission and commission committed by its servants. In view of the pressing urgency of lite reforms demanded in the interests of lire prevenl ion, we trust the Council will insist upon Hie siiperiniciident 's reeoniinemlafioii being carried'out without, delay., Doubtless these matters arc of sulTicient importance to engage the atIciilion /of the- Horoiigh official, but jlieiXMsilluiilier aspechof llie Borough's fire- preyi'iitjve ijieasures wliidi-was discussed hv the Oainaru Virc Board and ' which should spur the residents into iictioii, He reter lo (lie water supply i.for., (ire prevention purposes on j the higher levels. At the meeting of} (lie O'imaru Fire Board several member, expressed opinion that the residents in (lie areas referred to were, not Jiully seized willi the dangerous position which exists owing lo the inadequacy of, the ivnler ? sii|iply. iii.case of a sdrious

outbreak of lire, It was fiirtlier stated that a good portion of the south hill, and also the hill residences in the north end of the borough were provided.with pipes only sufficiently-large enough for a purely domestic supply oi 1 water. The superintendent stated that in the cases lof some lives to which the brigade had been called the plant had been useless and members had been unable to do anything owing to the poor water supply, chiefly due to the small service pipes serving the localities referred to, In reply to a-question the chairm'an, who' is also a member of the Borough Council, stated that while the scheme for improved reticulation for which the borough had accepted tenifers would probably improve matters in some localities, the new scheme was not designed for lire-prcveution purposes, and there would still be a large arc'a of the borough without the means of subduing an outbreak of lire. We hope these gravo warnings will move the Council and the ratepayers concerned.