WASTE BY FIRE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 32, 1 November 1919, Page 7

WASTE BY FIRE

« URGENT NECESSITY FOR ITS PREVENTION

WORDS FOR THE WISE (By 11. Tail, Superintendent of the Wellington Municipal Eire Brigade.) So world-wide is the shortage of almost everything required by humanity that tho time seems opportune to draw atteut'.oii to a serious source of wastage in properly and kind (i.e., fire waste) that is threatening us every hour of thv> day and night;, and which in most cases could bo avoided were a little more attention given to lire prevention. T'iro waste impoverishes people and communities, though they do not seem to realise it, and it adds tremendously to tho cost of living. Even insurance rates must necessarily bo governed by the tosses tho companies are required to make good, for, as will be at once seen, they could not pay out more than is paid in, or they would scon bo bankrupt and capital dovolcd to fire insurance wiped out. Hence the greater the loss (he higher the rates, and, consequently, the less money individuals and firms have to spend in other directions. Tho average person, when ppoken to on (.he subject of tiro waste, invariably Toplics: "AH this talk about '.'ire waste does not concern me. I havo never bad a. fire in my life!" Let u.s see whether it does or does not concern him. Take a suit of clothes. The wool .it was made of was insured as soon as it left t.he sheep's back. That was a. tax! Tho wool on transportation. is again insured. Another tax. It is insured in the factory where it is spun info tops, and again .in the factory where it. is woven inlo tweed, and onc'o moro in the factory or tailoring estalv jiKhnient.s where the tweed is made up into clothes. Then, if re.iuiported, tho clothes iiro again insured in transit, by tho_ warehousemen on its arrival, and again bv the retailer who buys from the Warehouse. So that all along tho lino it. is t.a-x upon tax, until ultimately tho wearer of tho clothes pays his quota of tho lot, and he. in turn, if ho bo a, caref'jl man, will insure his clothes among his other goods .and chattels. Whether the rates ;«-o high or low the consumer has to bear tho whole burden, and, from his ia'eas, so loosely expressed, does not know it. AVaslo bv fire touches everv unit in the community. It is therefore interesting and illuminating lo note that statistics Drove that 75 per cent, of the fires are actually preventable. .Tust think what it would mean if 75 per cent, of tho fire losses never happened at all! Almost every day the papers report a shortage of or that. Every merchant has a moral obligation io the rniblic he serves to "carry on," and the very greatest care should bo given at all times to the safeguarding of his stocks, unon which the community is dependent for its existence. T know somo wholesale merchants in Wellington who aro carrying largo' and valuable stocks who have not got as much as a threegallon extinguisher on their premises. If suggestions are made rcgaro'in" any safeguards they invariably ask—"How much would it cost? By how much would it reduce our rates?" They do not appear to be interested in the' biggoi loss that stares them in tho face in a clean burn-out of their premises, nor the loss such a fire would become indirectly, to the community. With tho acute shortage of houses that exists even a greater duty is cast upon every householder to protect his property, be no owner or tenant, and every euro should be exercised lo safeguard tho house, as most fires in dwelling places are preventable. let me cilo what a preventable tire may mean. A preventable tire occurred in Wel-inutoii on Novem. her 5 (Guv Fawkes NighU last vear, resulting m the loss of an extensive ouautity of urgently-needed building material The dislocation of business of many firms caused heavy loss; there was inconvenience lo people living in the vicinity of tho big blaze bv the hasl.v removal of furniture, fittings, and clothes, and n heavy wear and tear cost 'hill upon, the Fire Brigade TJlanr, wJnnli tho community • generally lias to maintain, and unnecessary suffering to tho individuals engaped iiTfifrhtimr the fire, together with tho loss of a lar<*o vqtume of water required for the health and domestic requirements of the citv. Now, the above loss represented so much timber felled for no ultimate good; tho time occupied iii the felling gone for nothing, the space in ships and railways uselessly oeciimed, the wear and tear on nulling machinery wasted, and tho time and money emended on four or five handlings and stacking—all gone up in smoke! Ihe fact that this timber was insured does not meet, the situation. The medium of exchange (money) is not what a house or warehouse or factory is erected of. It is the material itself which is 6 o urgently remiireii! If tho meal of a hungry man is bi-lned, his appetite cannot bo appeased by his swallowing tho 2s. that the meal would cost. The big fire referred to was the result of someone's desire to see a penny cracker "go off." Thero never was a. time in the history of the world when so many notions were burdened with such huge debts—tho outcome of tho war. Never before were the losses «o great as tho war losses have been. Those losses can only bo made good and the dcbls paid by llie savings and industry of the people, and every shilling that is saved by preventing waste by nreventable fires is helping the nation to bear its great burden and restore us all lo the happy plane of peace and plenty. For those anxious to prevent; fire waste, here are a few things lo think over] among the many common causes of fires: To Business Men, What protection from fire, if any, have you on your premises? Is the tire brigade's telephone number placed in a conspicuous place? Is smokine allowed on your premises— bv you or your employees? Are vour lift wells, areas, spaces under stairways Hid benches, and dark corners clear of refuse, oily wasie, and debris? Am matches, other than safety matches, allowed' on your premises? Have yonmelal containers for your rubbish, and are tliev emptied daily in a safe place? If von have any fire hose or chemical extinguishers, are they in good working order? Do all your employees know how to use llioin? Bo you use kerosene healers in the winter? If so. is the kerosene kept in a safe place? Are vour fire exits free from obstruction ? Are all your windows intact, no as to prevent flying embers from an adjacent, filf filiating in amongst your goods? Do vou know ihill; your safely instructions (if any) arc being strictly carried out? To Householder*, Do von use safely matches? Do von liitug clothes in front of a fire lo air? Are vour ashes safely deposited in metal receptacles and removed weekly? Have your chimneys been cleaned since the wintc-r? Is the ii.-:« of benzine forbidden in tho house, and near naked lighls? Arc the children left in Ihe house at night bv themselves, with matches easily accessible? Do vou keep kerosene lamps on tables with a cover? I [.illle children are apt lo null the cover and upset the lamp.) Do vou know where tli" nearest firealarm boss is located and llie brigade's telephone number? Are greasy rags left lying round? (Tliev sometimes catch li:c sponlaneouslv.) Do you' Ihrniv away lighted matches, cigars, or cigarettes? Do von use kerosene or benzine lo light I he fire with?