FLANNELETTE AND LOSS OF LIFE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8171, 12 July 1912, Page 11

FLANNELETTE AND LOSS OF LIFE

The British Fire Prevention Committee has recently tested some flannelette costing B|d per yard, which was sold and invoiced as "safety” flannelette by a large Loudon drapery house to representatives of the National League for Physical Education. Far from being a safety flannelette, or giving any security against ignition or rapid flaming, this material, of which some fifty yards were under test, flamed most rapidly, and in fact practically the whole of every square yard under test was consumed within a few seconds when a lighted taper was applied, thereto. The results of these comprehensive tests have now been published in the form of an illustrated report, and the committee, in its preamble, say that it is desirable that the public should be jirotected from buying a material of the inflammable nature of which they are (ignorant, and suggest that legislation should bo promptly instituted to protect against such a misnomer as "safety” flannelette, and that to sell a textile falsely as safe should be an offence made punishable by ordinary procedure, much as the sale of a false produce or article of consumption is promptly punishable. It should always bo remembered that whilst there is a very'great outcry if two or three lives are lost at any one actual fire in the metropolis, tho constant sequence of deaths amongst children either entirely due to the dangers of flannelette, or due to causes in which the wearing of flannelette is the "primary evil, has amounted to about 1200 to I*oo

lives per annum for several years past, i.e., the yearly loss of child life equals about the loss of lives on board the illfated Titanic. —“Insurance Record” (London).