THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1867.

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 194, 11 April 1867, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 1867.

The Improvement Committee has assumed the responsibility of carrying out the movement initiated some time ago, for the foiuiistiou of a Fire Brigade in Greyniouth, and obtaining the necessary appliances for the preservation of property from tire. It is something marvellous that the inhabitants of Greymouth should for so long have allowed this very important matter to remain in? abeyance, considering the very great risks from fire under which their property remains from day to day. During' the time that has eh p ed since first the formation of a Fire Brigade was first mooted in this towr, several startling examples of the necessity of due prec.uitionary measures hive beeu atiprded by other towns iv the Colony. Nelson, Christchurch, and Dunedin, to say nothing of Auckland — that city of incendiarism — have cadi suffered severely fiom disastrous fives, causing inimmi.se loss to many, and absolute ruin to. not a few. When we find how inadequately ! even the best organised means of pro--1 lectio u are able to combat $he dread .Fire-king — at the best but to limit its ravages, we may well begin to consider what sort of a plight we should be placed in here should a fire break out We have on many previo.ns occasions endeavored to arouse the public to a proper sense of the fearful risks they run every day and night of the^v U^gs— \ IbjdtliMs regai'fWfihtiir lives and propefm : ■'. wouy^seem witliofeT;

: '■ /\ A"'--effect. The recent terrible fires (in-i DiUiedin and Christchurch should poftit ji moral for every person interested in property in this town, and it is because it may possibly, have more affect, in the face of these recent disasters, that we again urge the public of Groy mouth to lose no time in providing themselves with some meaiih of meeting' tho possible and even probable calajnity .of fire. When we see how rapidly, and almost irresistibly, property is swept away in other towns, less flimsily constructed than pxir collection of wood and. calico dwellings, w-.e can imagine '\yliat would be the result of anything like a serious fire in Greymouth. Is it not most lively t]iat in such a case the greater part of the town would be swept away without any hope? Take any single gtr-eefcYa Greyniouth where the buildings are at nil connected, and suppose any OiiQ bijilding in it tp get fairly a-fire — •what hope of 'saying the rest- exists '? The answer is easy— 2i[one, absolutely •none. There is no fire engine, not evtfn a hamUpump in the place ; nor shave we even any organised appliances for checking a fire by pulling '-flown intermediate buildings. Surely this is a state pf things not to be tolerated. Tlie value of the buildings and property inside them in Greymouth cannot be estimated at much less than Ll 00,000, and yet there is absolutely not the slightest security against every vestige being swept away in a few hours. Indeed, hpwthe town has escaped so long is a mystery to. us. There are scores of houses and hotels ill this town where the most reckless disregard for consequences, as far as fire 1 is concerned, exists. In innuinorabh.' instances there are stovepipes passing unprotected through walls of y/ood and calico, the charred and sporched 'appearance of which tells what a fearful risk is run every time the stoves are lighted. Nor is it an uncommon occurrence, to see at night sparks and embers emitted from the low iron funnels which do duty as chimnies, ■ dropping around on the shingle and calico roofs of the adjpiuing tenements. Bearing in mind that there is not a penny of insurance on property in this town, the possibility of a serious fire is something dreadful to contemplate. There is no disguising the fact that anything like a large fire in Groymouth would be almost absolute ruin to t every one affected by it; and we question if the town would recover from a disaster of this kind fur many maii3 r 3'ears. The only remedies that can possibly be provided for such a state of things are — first, a properly organised body for the extinguishment of fires, and a municipal body with power to enforce the necessary precautions against accident. It is the paramount duty of the Improvement .Committee to at onot: carry out tho proposal of forming a Fire Brigade, and procuring an efficient fire engiue and other appliances. And avc must, in the name of the public, urge that body to prompt action iv the matter. We have no reas-on to doubt — indeed, we could not doubt — the willingness of the residents and owners of property to subscribe liberally towards an .object so vitally affecting their own immediate interests. The sum of money required is not at all beyond the means of the public amply to provide ; and we are sure that only an active canvas of the town is needed to place an amount at the disposal of the Committee .sufficient for the provision of the most urgently required appliances. Fortunately for Greymouth there is an ample supply of water at the very doors of the inhabitants, and all that is needed is a good effective engine, plenty of hose, and the proper, apparatus for pulling down build ings. We take it forg'rantcd that as soon as these are provided a Volunteer Fire Brigade Avill follow as a matter of course. But a grain of precaution is worth an ounce of after- effort, and it is an addition to the many reasons in favor of Mun:c'.pal Government that only by its', means can the necessary restraints bo .enforced for the protection of property. As we are all situated at present, we are at the mercy of any careless person who may allow his chimney to get foul, or for the sake of temporary convenience or economy neglect to fix his stove or stove-pipe in a safe position. A Municipal Council would remedy this, and compel people, as much for their own as. for their neighbors' sakes, to pay due regard to., the risks and dangers of fire, First of all, let us have a fire engiue, and that without delay. A properly constituted local government we may have soon ; and then, with the individual caution which every person ought to feel it his sacred duty to observe, we may rest rather more at ease regarding the outbreak of fire than we can certainly now do.