LESSONS OF THE FIRE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 9, 23 September 1879, Page 2

LESSONS OF THE FIRE.

The recent fatal Dunedin fire lias shown the urgent necessity that exists for an Act of Parliament to control lodging houses. The first duty of the State is to preserve the lives of its suhjects, and whereby overcrowding, or by lack of means for securing safety, lives are endangered, it is at once the duty of Parliament to interfere. If a man applies for a hotel license, very careful and proper enquiries are rtade as to the means of egress in case of fire. The number of outlets, the Width and number of the staircases, the means at comrnaucl to suppress fire, are all considered, because the building will be a place where persons will congregate and sleep. Now we cannot see why all these questions should not be asked as regards a lodging house. In every sense but the sale of liquor a hotel is a lodging house ; in fact, some of the latter rather affect a resemblance to the licensed houses, being called " temperance hotels." The State is equally bound to interfere on behalf of the lives of its subj ects if danger may exist, whether the house be licensed or not. Our remarks have been suggested by the evidence given on this point by Inspector Mallard at the. inquest on. the Dunedin fire. We quote from tiy Tribune : — / The Coronor . Has there ever been such a thing as a Common Lodging-house Ordinance in existence ? Inspector Mallard : There is one in existence, but I look upon it as obselete. It is not applicable to the present requirements of the day. The Coroner : In what is it deficient ? Inspector Mallard : It wants tho provision for the social control — if I may use the I term-^^|he inmates : that is to say, that [ there should be lodging-houses here similar to those afc Home, where each lodginghouse lias the number of persons allowed to sleep in aro un posted on the door. An officer is appointed to control these houses, to see that the provisions of tho Act are kept up to. The Coroner : Do you think such an Act should be in force here ? Inspector Mallard : I think the time has arrived when we should have a Common Lodging-bou?e Act. As our centres of population expand, the necessity for such an Ordinance as Inspector Mallard suggests will become absolute. Police surveilance will check many of the evils and immoralities which too often become associated with common lodging houses. If such an Act be framed, it should contain, we think, the following provisions : — Every lodging house to contain accommodation for more than ten persons should be licensed a nominal fee of say £10 per annum being charged. Each house should be licensed to accommodate a certain number of persons, and inside each room the number allowed to sleep in it should be marked. The strictest scrutiny should be exercised as regards the ventilation for each room. No licence should be issued unless such precautionary steps are taken as would give reasonable hope of the safety of all persons sleeping in the house in case of fire. Another very important point we suggest is, that both hotel and lodging house proprietors owning two or three-storey buildings should be compelled to have on each floor fire escape ladders of rope, fixed so that at any moment they could be utilised. Even the sad disaster at Dunedin may, by demanding : attention to the matters referred to, | save many lives in the future.