WANTED – A FIRE BRIGADE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1879, 19 September 1918, Page 2

WANTED - A FIRE BRIGADE.

EON TON is not proud of its notoriety for conflagrations, but the (rouble is such notoriety will continue until slops are taken to remove it. We are not less fortunate than other towns of similar size and population in (lie matter of conflagrations, but there is this difference, that other similar-sized towns without exception throughout the Dominion are equipped with up-to-date lire lighting appliances and a high-pressure water supply. When there is an outbreak of lire elsewhere, the brigade is at*work within a few minutes, and the outbreak checked with comparatively little loss. Nut so in Eoxton. We have no high-pressure water supply and no lire brigade. Consequently when there is an outbrea-k the lire-bell tolls and the public watch the Haines reduce buildings and contents to ashes. Under the circumstances it is surprising that insurance companies are prepared to take local risks. It is nonsense to talk .of incendiarism whenever a lire occurs —accidents and carelessness are more often the cause of outbreaks, and local people are not so foolish or immoral as to lire their premises to recover a third of the loss. (Something should be done, however, to establish a lire brigade and purchase a manual or chemical engine to cope with outbreaks. There are plenty of young men who would voluntarily offer their services provided the Council purchased the equipment. There is some talk of appointing a night-watchman for the borough, but this will not meet the necessity. In previous issues we have made suggestions as to lire-

fighting appliances, but they have fallen on cleat ears. Probably when the insurance companies withdraw their business from Pox ton the townspeople will wake up and do something. In the meantime we would suggest that the Mayor convene a special meeting of the Council to discuss the subject*t.