"FROM BAD TO WORSE."

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 231, 29 September 1928, Page 11

"FROM BAD TO WORSE."

HEAVY FIRE LOSS.

BIG INCREASE LAST TEAR.

COST OF SHEER CARELESSNESS

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Friday

New Zealand continues to have an unenviable record in losses by fire. This point is annually stressed by tho Inspec-I tor of Fire Brigades in his report. He shows that on the population basis New Zealand provides four times as many brigade calls as the number noted in a large number of fire brigade reports from many parts of the Empire. The fire loss throughout the fire districts for nine months amounted to £498,G71, as compared with £516,36G for the preceding 12 months, a proportionate increase of 22 per cent. The four heaviest district losses occurred in Auckland (£110,905), Wellington' (£89,415), Christchurch ( £67,010), and Kaiapoi ( £25,984).

Fire lobs throughout New Zealand for] the twelve months ended December, 1927, is estimated at £1,331,508. This gives an average loss of 18/4£ per head of population. The loss in 48 fire districts for the same period amounted to £502,944, which with a population of 544,303 residents within the districts gives a per capita loss of IS/SJ, whilst the loss for the 902,707 persons resident in other than fire districts amounted to £528,504. an average of 18/4| per capita. "Serious [as fire waste conditions in New Zealand have been for years past the foregoing figures only too clearly demonstrate that the position is steadily going from bad to worse," adds the inspector, who shows that Britain's fire loss is per head. He definitely traces fire losses last year, totalling £67,544, as due to sheer carelessness in some form.