The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1914. FIRE PREVENTION AT TEMUKA.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15394, 10 July 1914, Page 6

The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1914. FIRE PREVENTION AT TEMUKA.

It should be a point of pride as well as wisdom with the people of Temuka to repair as soon as possible the deficiencies of their High pressure water supply and lire brigade, exposed b3 r the official report of Mr Hugo, Inspector or Eire Brigades for the Dominion. Mr Hugo's report suggests that Temuka has a very shrewd and practical adviser in ii'j present Mayor, since the shortcoming's of the water supply scheme were pointed out 'oy Colonel Hayhurst before any beginning was made with the work, and the sj'stem was only installed .upon the lines now proved to be unsatisfactory by the overruling' oi his advice. Two years ago Colonel Hayhurstj, then a private ratepayer, was so convinced of the inadequacy of the scheme prepared by Mr Marc-hant that he engaged an independent engineer t-) report upon it. The expert sc engaged, Mr T. "Williams, reported that on the east side of the town provision should have been made for larger pipes, and argued that the pressure provided would be entirely inadequate for fire prevention purposes. The then Mayor, Mr Buxton, instead of welcoming this report, decried it utterly, and did not hesitate to impute the worst motives for Colonel Hayhurst's criticisms. We have no doubt that the present Mayor of Temuka will regret as much as anyone that the soundness of his criticisms has been unfortunately confirmed by Inspector Hugo, who cannot be accused of rendering a report to order. The Inspector, going further in this matter than Mr Williams, states that 'the pipes are of smaller diameter right throughout the whole reticulation than should have been laid down." He adds that '' the laying down of' 3-inch pipes for fire prevention purposes'' (specially condemned by Mr Williams) "has long been looked upon by expert water engineers, as well as fire brigade arthorities, as both an economic and utilitarian mistake." But the greatest defect of the system /s ''the low available pressure, that is not at all adequate for fire prevention purposes,'' and the most economic remedy he recommends that a pumping plant- should be installed forthwith. It is fair to point out that the possible necessity of a pumping plant was anticipated b\ Mr Marchant, the engineer responsible for the scheme, from the beginning-. His scheme would have answered all requirements, doubtless, if he had notbeen prevailed upon to adapt it to the cheapest cost. In a letter of reply to Mr Williams's report he wrote: " Judging from a comparison with tlie results of other water works I have engineered. I considered that, with the present class of building and small population existing in Temuka, there would probably be sufficient water and pressure to provide an efficient fire service foxsome time to come. If this opinion v.-as not confirmed by actual results in this particular case, then all that would be necessary to complete the full scheme would be to add the engine and pump originally recommended." That will no doubt be done now, but the smallness of the pipes, due also, it is reasonable to suppose, to motives of economy, will continue to be a disadvantage- And the whole point of Colonel liayhurst s earlier criticisms wai that too much was beiug sacrificed to economy.

It is loss important now. however, to consider why ;m inadequate water supply scheme was uMowed to be installed than io consider how the lire protection system of 1 emuka can lie made more satisfactory than by Inspector Hugo's report it is shown to be. The matter is one of great importance, since Teniuka is growing all the lime, and protection against lire cannot: be too efficient. Inspector Hugo makes some criticisms against the Fire L'rigado, as well as the high pressure water supply. There would seem to be a want of cnihusiasm here, since there was tar from a complete muster' for his .inspection. Those in attend-

a nee, lie reports, "appeared to ' IC ai .\ ac^ve !, nd willing lot of' men. but it was "apparent that the men require more instruction and drill." Both the main stalion andppla t were found to be io. a neglected condition. "We are sure that these are ma tiers ulnc-li only needed to be pointed cut to be remedied. We have had occasion to admire repeatedly the public spirit of' the people of lemuka, as shown, in schemes for the- improvement of their town. There is no reason why they should not be proud of their Fire Brigade, whose station, probably, as a building l , is not more inferior t--> their requirements than was that of the Timaru l'ire Brigade when the latter were already champions of the Dominion. We have great hopes that, in two or three years time, condemnatory parts of Inspector Hugo's present report will be quoted-at Temuka social gatherings, when its firemen are the heroes, only to provoke surprise by showing what great changes have been made.