FIRES CAUSED BY RAILWAY

Otago Witness, Volume 26, Issue 2419, 26 July 1900, Page 32

FIRES CAUSED BY RAILWAY

THE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT. (From Oue Owx Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, July 24-.

Mr J. W. Poynton, who was appointed a commissioner to inquire into fires caused by sparks from railway engines, reports that there can be no doubt that fires arc caused by sparks from engines. Allowing for those that may be due to the throwing out of the carriages by passengers of lighted matches or still smouldering stumps of cigars, there are still fbome that can be accounted for only by sparks falling from the engines on dry, inflammable matter. The^e fires always occur in the dry season, and if there is much wind they spread in spite of all efforts to check them, sometimes doing much injury. The appliances being the best known, and proper supervision being exercised in order to maintain them in a state of efficiency, and reasonable precautions being taken to prevent the accumulation, of inflammable material near the lines, the department is blameless in respect of fires caused by sparks from the engines; they must be regarded as accidental. The commissioner suggests that as the Auckland section, on which soft coal only is burnt, appears to have very many fires apparently due to sparks from the engines, the department should, as an experiment during the dry seabon, burn only hard coal on that section. This would involve an expenditure of perhaps £1500 for alterations to engines and the extra price of hard coal, but the fires are so numerous, and the settlers appear to be so discotiraged by them, that -thY outlay would be justified if the fires could in this way be prevented.

The question of damage to property by sparks, from railway engines is one of considerable difnciilty. In the absence of proof of negligence the sufferer has no remedy, and as settlement increases the number of such claims against the department will grow. If claimants be compensated without the judgment of a court there will be suspicion of favouritism. On the other hand, if there is to be no assistance without such a judgment many deserving' settlers will suffer great injury, if they do not wholly ruined, through no fault of theirs. Your Excellency's Advisers might consider the advisability of placing a small tax on property adjacent to the railway lines for the purpose of compensating such suffereis. Being in the nature of an insurance it would not press heavily on the contributors. It could be collected by the local authorities, and handed over to the department without expense lo the latter. If the fund deiived from such a source .existed, ooinjjensatiou could be given under

proper safeguards, without the necessity of court proceedings, which must, in the great majority of cases, be fruitless. Your commissioner is fully aware that there are grave objections to the adoption of sucK a system of compensation to those injured, and submits the suggestion with diffidence. It would, however, be an attempt to solve a difficult problem by placing the loss on all exposed to the risk, instead of on single individuals, and much hardship would be avoided. Smoking on platforms or other parts of a train, except in the smoking carriages, should be entirely prohibited. In the smoking carriages Ihere should be a receptacle for cigar ends and used matches. There should also be, a by-law, if such be not already in force, making il an offence to throw such articles from trains, and notice of this, with the penalty for nonJ observance, should be posted in the smoking carriages.

Defalcations to the amount of over £900 are disclosed on the part of ex-officers of the Auckland City Council. The matter is to be considered by the Legal Committee of the City Council.

Whaling operations at Whangaimimu have so far this season been fairly successful. Three large whales have been captured and taken in to the station. Two others, which the boats got fast to, got away, and probably one of these was the whale sighted by the Zealandia off the Cavallis on Monday. A boat was lowered from the Zoalandia to make an inspection of the whale, and it was found that the fish had not been long dead, for the wounds made by the harpoon were plainlyvisible on its body.