LOSSES BY FIRE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 544, 26 June 1909, Page 3

LOSSES BY FIRE.

:■■■■ -K d&Vj—f&l; I jTie- permitted - to' -Terer<to''ih6 /&' : iiepbrtedjtlosses /by,/fire/in.: Newv'Zcaland; as ~-.';',~f\ stated/in .yoUTj/issiie, -of,-.'to-day ?'■? '. ; ,':Vf-'-."; /•'/: ;.':;/'i-ThV; enormous/ fire* ■', wasto'/which'/has '■'-, been ■■.' -£?'ibg'-\ons".^^inV\this ; l)6mimon f .for'yearß'jpast -■.... .;;hasfnow.assumed'such/propprtibna -that'some -: /.preventive .'mea™<>s;:'&li6m;!;}tt': , - ! tfiewini«.' ./..ests.of/our/cblOT ■ •'•'■;.W»'i,;il .-'.':--.-;:r.cpitfr«es';to';;take';'the.%KiatiVe : i':in^ , briiiguig :/- : ;subjectVbeforo-,the'::pepple ; ;;,.':of: ; New;Zea]ahd/;:/I.t/;is/fnpt -a/auction" of .'// ...;',the;..natio'rial/w,ast'e>y'fir^ - ; :/J?S? n g^ . /.' i? irs ,/, of /?arham.ent;'.'ai\d'.''.othbrs;'rVspoa'sible , ...: r :tpr t;ho':,woU-beirig'.'of(the/-;c'om'^ .//-^ a ': ///:' .rmuilicipal, by-laws, -and 1 ' rules ///.'. -in-all'directions / . : :^ //:?I" t; ; m 'W.ono.matter, of '.fire/w-afrte-practic- " /.V;;';.'* 1 /bas", . .7/ ;qenl t-with'the- cause' of '.'fires';'-; : -' '''•"/''--"': ■;■■. .; :/PefPent ? firc-siwhich/tike*;'place :-o- ■ accd^!' /My.-firm;:cohvictloh ; ;'ik:..'that' '/■'■' ■ '"'fi'tbeVaresyinO'New:' Zealand 1 /'':/-PJ^« I ™ or '.'':.'.'-: < of '., c s re Wsness r ;:whichV-ahionnt's':•''to "'criminal ,: . ■negligence/,,'lf-a ( ;peVsoriVdies ? ;:and-;there;is -i-.-JiO', satisfactory'/eviderice^to'^tcbun't-'for^he , :/«^nse,,of/death,' ; an'-!inqne'st Jfollows;-' -If :anv ::'■". /.•F. c J.'/ a i ;''« t .epM fts ''^-'' M »Be;'da'nge^-.'ib!:lifo ;,; ; *health-,of his, fellow: being; there/are'laws ' // :?" existence; he can lie-compelled to -///:■ TO?W./?^r?w:;If;:,a-;>rs6n/'commits : ;-a -/.. /W a PP4?fv:theVpeace,/.'or: does"nhy'tHihg'to' / ■ -caiiso L ; his ,'f '.suffersnndulyj,

there, are' Acts to punish" him, .a^:;.whfch';7(iJe''detotietit' ; t6 , 'ptliers;..'-'-lf'-"a newspaper.; editor- 'publishes statements'' concenung/an'.individual 'and, the be, soconstrued i as.'to, constituto/an. injury topthati individual,.;'the■ editor/can; bo" punished; for :libel;; ;i :': : .v.--) ■'-~■'.;■-. -. ■:'. ' ','.' ',■ r iAll .Tound'i ;there are laws, .to protect a 'man from ■ his'neighbours,' and from' himself, bnt 1 . 1 with''the'; one. splitary'exception, viz., .that 'of .'incendiarism. <';'Truei Yit'''is;.'possible Iwhen. iiicohdiarism is shoetcd : home ;to. any r«rson,'th'e'law'rpuulshes -him,; bat the; laws ,relating''-ib-', fire-.wast©., are' not sufficiently far-reuohingf-.,"andi : as 'aiconse'quencer.'loss'' 'afters-Idas.; takes ? place, and, lives •'and pro-; perty ■• are'..endangered- thereby;.' still - practically; nothing is done -.to. prevent. _repetitiori, :o^^'fe■ < • well' be. genCompany'' 'things -go-quietly along, aid the '.wastoVeontinu'es..■•->.-• .-.:.-•. ;••<■;', V '.'Po 'you" imagine for ,'orie' moment that: we are.: not'.singular in/this : Dominion- in'-: the matter'''of ■fire: loss/. orVthat. fires take'.place, vyith-eanai'vorome of:loss in other,colonies? Surely not!'-'-'ltMs'.a fact, .that New--Zea'.u'ud has; the''worlds record for'.the loss' by fire, per.-head;of the' population., \ipu have only the May.number of the "Insurlancei'aid 'Banking Eecord" ; to- ascertain how. New-Zealand,-stands. ■ The .following is the ; positipn,;vuii.:'v;::; .!:...;.>V.y : ; :•:';■:. of'fires in New South \?ales ';...- 37 :Numher:"of .fires'inYVictoria ■:-:'."., .... '..V2 Number'of.fires in Tasmania. . —..,.••• .'l2. Number'of fire's in, South. Australia ..; '.'..'.> 13 Number of fires Australia.:..:,; 2' .fires in New Zealand, ! ; ...,,216 ,Numbe'rVor:''ures'in\Qneensiaiid.'.'..'.■'•..;■: •;• ■ 13

the commerciU tone lower, or Dominion, •? thanV in '':■ thej. other'. and ;.largor colonies?-■ I do riot;say ; .that it is; but the fact: 'remain's,.'...that.' the'Yabsence': of:> proper laws '/and -.deterrents,-in. New' : Zealand; and buililing,'re'gulations,. will':account ' for.,-the•' unenviable reputation 1 and.-which, re-' •suits'in Wcfoearfulwaste by,fire, every year;

..' .'recorded :■. com-: .pariies: as 'paicTfor fire' losses: is riot' an actual 'gaugV',of r tbe'position,-.'but is merely 'a'ri.iudicatibn.ofj'what is': going ■',- pnj\for-it/must surply: be'admitted : that more, is, lost by fire, than; what the offices haveito pay ■-■: : ■:■:.•> ''Now, what is theremedy ?- oriwhat'eanj first be ; dono;to :J)reVeiit the waste which 'has• been going.: oh .for ■; years ? : That, :is.;where'your 1 : vji.j.Vtbi'pdinWbut-thejemedy,' and''agitate for. its -..adoption.''. The pity of Melbourne has .receritly,:'grappledl,,with. tbis., question; in; the |'matter ;,."of ''stringeh.t^building. ,why ; ishouldhnot/the(.municipalities.'of .th.'''' Dominion•' do'likowise' ?.;. Y'Wfty: shbuld ':' ,rit.* regulationsJlre adopted.; for 'a.;fullvinquiryi, to' 'bej:'made/'by,.Some'.'officer, appoihtedifbr./the pnrpose,":,:into- pjeryj'nr'e,;, which', takes ; place? OTy.v.shdu.ld^ prevent! the' aggregation of wooden buildings,, aridtdsfectivp,' brick."'Wldings,'. which' have ripproper.; brick>,orconcretedivision-walls? ■■'..Yfty'sfo^ wfip.hoTe struly iborne' ■deh-{pjFrJ-'tK©:--da'y;V(andi.:hightV,' , 'fbr l ' i \ i s 6 .years^.nbtV.rcceive.s'ome,:'assistance';:' : and-eh- : ,it, ninst' ; be. thatvthbir J in 'the'dominion;'has been' La', i nii^hty':', factor -'in.:; building' '-Lip' - ;'the •,cpmrMraal;';stjiM ' of r./our ybnn^(,cbni^\: - :X::/^'-x,Vi;. : ; ':\^' ( -.\>^. ■.VJl;''hp'pp,Vsirjy that',you' witl ',nM?'tirhe;V and Be\;. / willingf; to'; move ..'in: tbis vrhiitt'er.'.'. "It-;is : Sbj:|',a; question , politics—it ■ is l : a .mHter,/pf ;^,6mmoh':' good'-to.-all,': and 'surely, .theTQoVerarnen't'.'con' be': induced''to toko ithe Isubiectlnriyhatfdi :!''J?h.T.-'riot appoint/W.iEriva] .CqmmisßipnJ.tp !inquire-,'arid''- : rprx)rt.?,. ; ''fbr I 'be : timber.'was;. important •than'.wb'nld .be;'a:vßoyal timber: burjis-so : .rnnchtm'ore'in;New Zealand theiwbrld: ,: •'.- V>.

;a'polpgies:,for'writing,at'such length', ''rrl.vam,"?etol', - ,'.'-'.'■'.'■'•'■''. , -^£ , -. : -.iv--'- -Oi ';S''.l?w^'^i^r.J^^;'C!RAY.':Ci JV. '•''■ ■'•'.■.'■;;