Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1901. FIRE BRIGADES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 4 July 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star, AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1901. FIRE BRIGADES.

Ths report presented to Parliament by Messrs Gilbert and Smith, two wellknown New Zealand firemen, who went to Paris to attend the United Fire Brigades Association, is an interesting and comprehensive document of the fire appliances they saw and has given them new ideas. They strongly urge that something should be done to reduce the terrible waste by fire that goes on yearly in New Zealand. If loss, they declare could be brought home to colonials iu the shape of a direct tax, no doubt very urgent stops would be taken to reduce this increasing waste if this could be done. They say that we would soon feel the benefit as at present every merchant and retailer in fixing the price of his goodd has to consider the amount of premiums paid to insurance companies. Premiums arc based on the fire loss, and they urge that the State should secure information showing approximately the value of property annually destroyed by fire, and they further urge that if an enquiry was held into all fires, tho number would bo reduced. Owners of property would soon find that it would be to their advantage to provide suitable fire extinguishing appliances and not trust all to the compensation derived from insurance. Buildings, they urge, should be so constructed as to be fire resisting, and it should be the special duty of fire inspectors to report on all buildings where there was a possibility of large fires. Speaking from intimate knowledge of nearly every brigad" in the colony, they are satisfied

that with few exceptions their appliances are of a most inadequate nature. They advocate the use of chemical engine, and express the belief that automobile will in time be in general use in the fire department.