THE FATAL FIRE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 279, 4 December 1901, Page 2

THE FATAL FIRE.

the after talk.

By Telegraph—Press Association

Wellington, last night. The enquiry into the death of Win. Crawford, victim of the Oriental Hotel Ure, concluded to-night. .he evidence throughout the enquiry ' i shown that tuere was an overlappir- : a ithority in regard to ordering c :s of hotels to provide proper tire es ,_s. The Coroner teum. h that there seemed to be two distinct av lorilies now dealing with this question. Out the Licensing Comtnittee had power to refuse licenses to hotels which were not properly equipped with means of escape. The jury returned a verdict that Crawford's death was accidental, and aided several riders, in which the opinion was expressed that when licenses are granted licensees should state the limit of boarders the house is to accommodate ; that plainly printed notices should be posted in each bedroom of c-verv hotel regarding fire escapes; that complete systems of electric alarms should be installed on each floor ; that there should be a careful quarterly inspection of all licensed premises. The jury also strongly deprecated the action of the City Council in not appointing an inspector of hotels and lodginghouses sooner, and thought sufficient information had not been given as to why an Act passed last year was only brought into force in September. They further thought the Council to blame for not having had a house list prepared under the Municipal Corporation Act, limiting the number of persons allowed to sleep in each hotel. There would then have been

less than sixty-two persons sleeping in the Oriental, which had over thirty-nine bedrooms.