UGLY FIRE ESCAPES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14807, 10 October 1911, Page 8

UGLY FIRE ESCAPES.

•'■■ ,• : -;.- ,"-:-:'''. ! -:'/,.' ■■'■:"-,''-f■}..'' '■-: •■'"■v- '"■'". *4-:;?stiSt BURGLING MADE EASY. DEPUTATION TO THE MAYOR. : i •- ; - "-■'•;: ■.v'::'v'',v-. :^?:: -- ; :.: :;: :• ; ::.- : " ;; :' ,' ''■•■-'-''-. ■:"^-''-i:Mt^4. ■ A deputation" consisting of Messrs. Fin-;' ! lay son (Sargood, Son and Ewen), Hud- | son (L. D. Nathan, Ltd.). Evans (Brown, T Barrett and Co.), J. C. Entrican, Laurie, • Graham (Briscoe- and Co., Ltd.), Ben, jamin (P. Hayman), C* Houghton (NewZealand Shipping Company), A. 8. Bank- ~\ art (Campbell and Ehrenfried Company), :; A. Cleave, Roberton S (Heather,? Roberton §| and Co.), and McVeagh (Russell and Campbell) waited oiietbe Mayor (Mr. C. - J, Parr), on Saturday morning, with re* - : '"' ferentS! to the new fire escapes, which " under . the Municipal Corporations ; Amendment Act of 1910 the City Council"/; have .the power to appoint an. inspector'"/ to deal with. Under the Act this inspect tor'has the'.power to order, any form or/: 'fire-escape that ..he considers the njosfc; \' suitable* and his "decision is to be final. This, official-is suggesting to own.-: of property to fix - r an -escape which lis deputation consider is of a most hideous dasign. The «scape takes, the form ot a slanting stairway about 2ft to 2ft 6: in width, with a 4in stair tread, which ; will run transversely from a window on the top-floor of a building to a window on the first floor, intercepting windows i of other floors en route. A straight .lad-//; der will run from the first floor to tic ground.

Mr. McVeagh, in introducing the de« putation, pointed out the,objections they bad to the , proposed (ire escape, which was . unsightly,. and practically threw premises open to burglars. fie zuu stated the Act was a very arbitrary. one, in that they had no rppeal against thr decision of the inspector, also that what tho inspector was asking .for .from•'.the.' warehouses was the same as ha was asking for from the factories, where a large;; number of girls were being, employed. From one to four men were employed . in the upper storeys of warehouses, with l stairs and lifts, and there is no necessity \ for. fire escapes. In warehouses no one . lives on the "premises, and men do not. work at nights, and for a fire to get much of a hold without the men getting down would be almost an impossibility,in fact in his recollection, which extended over 20 years, he had "never known.fi of "any "loss of life by fire in any ware-, house. rf Mr. Robdrton also suggested that tha J Mayor, whilst in Wellington, shouldmake representations to the Government- ; with a view to having the Act amended in the direction of giving property 1 the right of appeal beyond the inspector, \ to the Council. He also pointed out* that it : was, a-: rather serious thing, for i property owners that one inspector could| arbitrarily demand one- sort of fire escape,. : and that on another being appointed-he : could have the whole of me work pulled| down and a new system put in. This; was a very serious thing from a propel:/« owner's point of view. • Other members of the deputation also protested against this class of fire escape, which practically gave free access '.-j burglars, and also that as a fire escape it was not as safe as those at present in use :in Auckland., . . • The; Mayor, in reply, said that whilst he was in sympathy with them, the Coon-1 cil's duty was, to carry out the "law. ha r added that should the property owners be', unable to coma to some arrangement with" the inspector as regards the class of fireescape required, a committee of the Cisy> Council would be set up to decide fol both parties. • ' '; After thanking the Mayor the deputy* tion withdrew. ■• ■ ========