THE AUCKLAND FIRE.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 13, 17 January 1901, Page 1

THE AUCKLAND FIRE.

The New Zealand Herald,' commenting upon the recent fire in Customs street, says;— Close upon £IOO,OOO has disappeared. A million pounds has been in imminent peril. There is every reason to consider that this has resulted from the utter disregard of efficient fire prevention methods which characterises our city, and which has over and over again been commented upon. Had the wind blown furiously from the north instead of lightly from the south, the people of Auckland might still be watching helplessly' the annL halation of their most valuable properties, and be confronted by a commercial and industrial stagnation which would carry loss and suffering to thousands of now happy suburban homes. This Damoelean sword hangs ever over our city while' the present indefensible order of thing 3 continues. The Auckland Star follows ill a similar strain. Perhaps when another £90,000 worth of property has been destroyed the City Council will begin to consider the. necessity for bringing our primitive fire appliances up to the level of modem needs. This was one of the reforms to which Major Goldie committed himself two years ago, and, to do him justice, he set out with some amount of reforming zeal. The spirit of localism and intrigue, however,-damped his ardour and thwarted his design. The result is that, instead of having our fire appliances organised upon an up-to-date system, like that adopted in Sydney, or even brought up to the standard of other New Zealand towns, we are drifting along with an organisation that is practically helpless in the face of such an outbreak as that which destroyed one of the most valuable blocks in the city yesterday morning.