HASTINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1247, 23 January 1896, Page 19

HASTINGS.

Once again that rat has been at the matchbox and set alight to a boardinghouse opposite the railway station, and also destroyed two or three shanties which are very well out of the way. The boardinghouse was managed by a plate-layer named Sullivan, and was built by David Smart, formerly in business here.

There seems to be an organised attempt to upset the local fire brigade. Quite recently the Council went into committee, as is their common custom when there is anything on which won’t bear inspection, to consider a letter from a busybody in the town who complained that there was something -wrong with the steam fire engine, and the result was that an engineer was imported from the Spit without a word being said to the honorary chief engineer (Mr W. B. Jones), who, according to a letter from the Council accepting his services, is responsible for the working of the engine, and also the officers of the brigade. Mr Niven’s report was “that he had made a most exhaustive inspection of the machine both inside and out, that he found everything in perfect condition, and that the engineer’s were thoroughly efficient.” That was all right so far. Enquiry elicited the fact that all the busybody could say was that nearly two years ago a piece of brown paper packing blew rhit-ai the feed-p'tuaap owing to the joint

not being perfectly faced up, and on this “ report ” the Council went into committee and ordered a report in a way which was a direct insult to every member of the fire brigade, and which will cost the ratepayers several pounds. These pounds, together with other J?2O which arc. being wasted on a new bell-tower •vfhich is totally unnecessary, might have been much better spent in hose to replace some of the rotten stuff with which the brigade has to work with at present. Headers of the Mail must surely think, from the frequent references made to them, that Hastings has a permanent staff of firemen. On Thursday night they were again called out, but the fire was found to be atTomoana. Four horses were harnessed to the steamer, hut word had been sent up that the fire had been quenched. It is not generally known that they have a splendid fire service at Tomoana. A stationary engine capable of throwing over* a thousand gallons a minute is connected with mains and stand-pipes all over the works, and, by a peculiar arrangement, when a. hydrant is screwed down at any part of the main, the act of so doing starts the engine. The incident in Melbourne recently, where a G erman band was required to play “ llule Brittania,” was only a ease of his tory repeating itself. Some time ago a great admirer of the man of blood and war was holding forth in one of the local hotels and making somewhat unfavourable comj pari sons between him and Her Majesty. Those in the room stood it for a short time, but eventually compelled the subject of the Kaiser to kneel down before a picture of Victoria Dei Gratia Britannia Reg., Ac., and then poured beer over him until lie sang “ God Save the Queen.” His vocal abilities were not great, but the lesson he got is one that he will not forget in a hurry. . ( Quite a large number of young children I have died here during tho last month, and in nearly every case the cause might be traced to the" artificial feeding adopted. With such weather as we have had lately, the contents of bottles when sucked through india-rubber tubes and such like contrivances become poison in a few moments.

The Napier and Hastings tradesmen had another match on Wednesday, and put in a very sociable afternoon. The last time the Napier bowlers were here they beat the local players ill the aggregate, but two sides of four were afterwards arranged and tho Hastings players won easily. Five rinks have now been picked, and they will proce i to Napier probably next Wednesday afternoon, being determined to take their Napier friends down before the season expires. The brick building which Blythe and Co. are now putting up is such a novelty in Hastings that numbers of people stand round all day watching the workmen piling one brick upon another. It will be a great protection from fire, provided the walls are carried up above the roof, and will save the owner a great sum annually in insurance.

It is astonishing that tho Borough Council do not framo laws to prevent people putting up some of the structures with which the town is (dis)graced. There is one “shop” in the main street about Bft by 10ft, the occupier of which works and lives on the premises, and if he wants to wash himself he has to march down the front thoroughfare until he reaches the tap in a neighbour’s back yard. Not far away from that there is a closed-in passage open to the street by a wicket gate, and in this are stowed old p>otato sacks and similar rubbish, inviting people so inclined to throw a match in where it might smoulder for days and break out when least expected. And yet people wonder how fires are started! In tho face of facts like the above townspeople are surprised to hear that we have a Board of Health, a fire inspector, an inspector of nuisances, a dust cart and many other modern appliances for preserving the health and safety of the inhabitants.

A very nice distinction. A telegram i from Dunedin says a “ boy not only got ‘ drunk ’ himself, but made two little girls ‘ tipsy.’ ” The wind has been something dreadful for some time past, and is making everything (even the newspaper correspondents) as dry as a bone.