FIRES IN TOWNSHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10037, 25 January 1896, Page 4

FIRES IN TOWNSHIPS.

For many years past, the most destructive fires in this colony have occurred, not in the larger cities, such as Auckland, Wellington, Cliristchurch, and Dunedin, but in the smaller townships, and in several cases these fires have been attended with loss of life, We have had very destructive fires in Gisborne, in Hamilton, Cambridge, Pal-, merston North, Coromandel, Hawera, aud indeed in almost every township of that class. Only a few days ago, we had a fire at Corojhandel, in which a man lost his life, while we have to-day to record a fire at Te Arolia, in which one person has been injured. • It is not to be wondered at that such fires occur. In the class of towns we have spoken of the houses are all of wood, and they stand as closely together as in our Queen-street. And there is 110 water supply, The consequence is, that when a fire breaks out at night, there is frequently loss of life, and as regards the buildings the people can do little more than stand and see them burn. The loss to the colony from such fires must be very great. The insurance offices, we presume, take sufficient care of themselves by charging high premiums for the risks they run, but these high premiums mean loss to the community, and there is always a certain amount of property which is not insured. The remedy is a difficult matter to think of. It would be impracticable to enact that all buildings must stand at a certain distance from each other. In such townships the business portion must be compressed within a small compass. In many cases a water supply- is beyond the power of the inhabitants, all the rates being required for the maintenance of the streets. But we think it is in this direction that a remedy must lie looked for. The Government might do much without incurring great expense. It might offer 11 premium for the introduction of a water supply into such townships by offering pound for pound on any moneys raised by the owners of property. Good water is generally much required for ordinary purposes, and it would soon repay the cost of introduction in the extinguishment of fires.