THE FIRE MENACE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2995, 5 February 1917, Page 8

THE FIRE MENACE

« RAILWAY DEPARTMENT'S STATEMENT. At the meeting of tho Palmorston Chamber of Commerce on Monday evening last reference was made to the outbreak of lire in tho Tokomaru flax swamps j and it was stated that the fires had/originated from sparks from railway engines, and. tho Chamber decided to telegraph immediately to Mr. Ililey, General Manager of lfcjihvays, drawing his attention to the matter. On Tuesday morning the following telegram was dispatchcd -.—"The Palmerston Chamber of Commerce meeting last night unanimously passed a resolution that we view with much concern during this exceedingly dry weather the fact that no provision is made to prevent railway engines throwing sparks, which is causing flaxmillers and others the greatest anxiety, and may cause great loss, not only to flaxmillers, but to the Dominion." Mr. W. M'Kenzie, secretary of the Chamber, supplemented tho telegram by the following letter: —"Following my telegram of this date, I am directed to convey to you tho very grave concern felt By members of this Chamber of the danger of serious conflagrations caused by sparks from railway engines. The danger of enormous loss, not only to individuals, but also to the Domln* ion, from this source during spells of hot. dry weather, such as we are experiencing at tho momeni, is such that my Chamber thinks it'only reasonable that the Raifway Department should take every, precaution possible to prevent fires starting from tho cause mentioned. "We understand that when the Palmerston-Wellington line wrfs under the management of the Manawatu Railway Company, spark-catchers were placed on the engines, and still further precaution was taken by placing men at intervals along tho line where most danger lay to put out incipient fires. The danger to one of oui'imost important industries and loss in many other directions is' so great that niy chamber trusts you will give immediate instructions to your Department to take every possible precaution in the direction indicated, at any rato until sucti time as the present drought breaks." The following reply has been received from Mr. 'E. H. Hiley, General Manager of Railways:—"l have tho honour to inform you that the chamber is entirely under a misapprehension in regard to the matter. The locomotives used on the New Zealand railways are fitted with tho host known appliances for arresting sparks: the apparatus is examined daily before the engines commence their runs, and defects are immediately remedied. ft is, I think, desirablo lo take this opportunity of removing a wrong impression from the minds of members of the chamber, and to intimate definitely that tho Department takes all reasonable precautions lit all seasons of the year, but special attention is at. all times given to the mutter when lorn; spells of dry weather are experienced."