DANGEROUS "FIFTH"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 16, 14 October 1919, Page 6

DANGEROUS "FIFTH"

CUTTING OUT FIREWORKS AMERICA'S EXAMPLE • V.lill" • ■ For some years past the superintendent of the Wellington Municipal' Firo Brigade .(Mr. H. Tail) has been quietly endeavouring to bring about legislation that will prohibit the sale of fireworks of all kinds at any time. Mr. Tait regards as ft very real danger! to per«m and property, and an utterly senseless reoreation at the/best for grown-up people. Last year tho then Minister of Internal Affairs (tho Hon. G. W. Russell) was approached with, a request to enact legislation that would raako the sale-of ..fireworks illegal. The Minister s reply; ;>vas a refusal, tho grounds being that tie municipalities 3vad it in itheir hands, to. prohibit fireworks being exploded; in the streets. Unfortunately, there are 'thousands of . streets, and it '.would need thousands of inspectors or police to patrol every ono of them adequately on, say, November 5 and the week preceding that date. Sucfc jiroteotion could not be given. The only way of preventing fiie dangerous nractico of allowing fireworks in a oity was to absolutely prohibit their sale. Mr, lait has a good deal to say for hi 6 argument, n'nd ■ now —three weeks beforo Guy Fawkcs' Day—is tho most opportune timo for him to 6ay it. "Our firo losses in Wellington for the Tear ended March' 31 last would havo ■ been-in tho neighbourhood of .£3OOO (tho lowest" on record)," said Mr. Tnit yesterday, "wore.it not that on November 5 last (Guy Fawkes' Nightl tho big sawmills and box factorv off Torv Street were'fired by fireworks, and the loss from that firo alone amounted to ,£11,009. Of course, it could not be proved beyond all shadow of a doubt that ttie firo was. caused by the effect of fireworks, but people saw the flaming sticks descending amongst the timber and sawdust, and the wind was Wowing with the strength of a full gale to fan the fire in the stub end of a rocket. There are many who think with me on this matter,! and others who do not consider the matter, worth worrying about, but I, inow\ there is a . very risk in allowing fireworks to be set- off in our streets or anywhere near houses. Statistics from other countries prove it, and the glaring instance here in Wellington last year should convince anyone of the danger. Talk to the people of Oriental Bay, and ask them if they would care to havo another fireworks display similar to that given on Peace Night. . In more than one instance bits of whirling -fire fell amongst the-people and showers of sparks fell among tho houses' on'the hill. No, I dont think Oriental Bay people want any more hro Mr.' Tait said that what lie was trying to 'bring about here was on the lines of the'movement in, America to prohibit fireworks. • Iu that' country the chiet day (or night) for fireworks orgies was the fourth, of July, and a circular bearing on the reform movement has just com© to liand. Oil tho front pago is a vivid cartoon—a black-robed, labelled ."Tho Murderous Fourth -waring -in her • arms a bundle of rockets, and knocking at the ,;door of an[ American home. Below is printed: In the past thirteen, years a total of 43,951 persons were killed or injured in the celebrations of. the Fourth of July. Tho "Journal of the American Medical Association" eajsr-. -~ •• , ~ , ... "In 1915, besides one death duo to, te< tarns, 29 persons were killed by various forms of fireworks, making a total of ou deaths, or ten less than last year, two. less' than in 1913, 11 less than in 1912, g7 leffi than in 1911, ajid.lol less than in 1910. The number this year is tlifc smallest since the collection' of these statistics -was 1 . This year five persons were killed outright by firearms, five by explosion of powder, bombs, or torpedoes, six by cannon, and two by other forma of fireworks. Tho most serious fact, this jnsar u that eleven per"eons,' mostly little girls or small children, were burned tix death by firo from fireworks,'' most cases - being • caused by the supposedly, 'harmless* varieties. The above figures, disclose a falling oit in the number of deaths due directly to the propaganda of the National Fire Protection Association' of Boston, Mass., .best to. show how fool* jah and,destructive fireworks are. Many States of America havo closed down on the sale of .fireworks altogether, and hundreds of cities have passed ordinances prohibiting fireworks displays in or near the city.' How that is reacting is made plain by the Medical Association's statistics, which show that in 1903 people wow tilled. and 5983 injured in the United States from the use of fireworks and firearms j in.1915 there were only 30 killed land 1135 injured from the same causes. fThese are termed in the circular "Human sacrifices to Independence Day in America." ' i' Another ..striking: instance of the destrnctiveness of fireworks is the following simple comparison, of tho hospital experience (of deaths or injuries by fireworks) in Washington, 8.C., on July 4, 1908, ■when fireworks were allowed, and 1909, . when they were prohibited. Here is the Comparison:— .Jul? 4k J.ulyi, """ Hospital; 1908. 1909. • " .'Emergenoy * 25 0. Casualty 6 0 •-Treedman's 5 0 Georgetown 10 0 Garfield ' ; i 0 Homoeopathio 52 0 • •Children's , .. ' 2; 0 ■■w Totals 101 , 0 ' Mr. Tait emphasises the dangeir that exists in Wellington 'by allowing fireworks to be set off in the city by pointing oiit that Wellington is mostly tim-ber-built and easily vulnerable to fire, whereas in America they usually go in for more substantial methods of con--Btraction. He did not wish- to ban fireworks from the earth, but was of tho firm opinion that no ono should be allowed to set them off in the city without a permit, -which would provide certain essential safesuards for life and property.