“Woe to City”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 223, 9 December 1927, Page 1

“Woe to City”

Prophet and Politics Canberra’s Fate NINEVEH RECALLED By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright Reed. 9.5 a.m. CANBERRA, To-day. In the House of Representatives, Mr. F. Brennan complained that Canberra had been made the subject of Scriptural derogation, and wanted something done about it. He explained that inquiries were made from Melbourne to a prominent Civil servant as to the conditions at Canberra. In reply, the inquirer was referred to a verse in the Prophet Nahum. Mr. Brennan looked up this verse and found it read: “Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of lies and robbery.” He asked the Minister of Homo Affairs, would he ta*a steps to correct this allegation, or at least make it clear that it was greatly exaggerated. The Minister replied that as the question was such a serious one, and as the answer required careful consideration, he would be glad if Mr. Brennan would put the question on the notice paper.—A. and N.Z.

The verse referred to is part of Nahum's vision of the miserable ruin of Nineveh, as prophesied in Chapter 111., verse 1: “Woe to the bloody city! it is all full of Lies and robbery; the prey departeth not.”

mill and to the Colonial Ammunition Company's factory.” Soon afterward the Mount Albert and Newmarket brigades arrived to give assistance. Accordingly, it was possible to release one of the city engines, .which was sent back to the station. Great stacks of timber crackled and blazed despite the thousands of gallons of water played upon them from five leads of hose. The entire efforts of the several brigades were concentrated on checking the spread of the fire to the Kauri Timber Company’s mill. The flames from Pollard’s had leapt, across a railway siding dividing the two timber yards, and were slowly encroaching on the stacks belXrging to the Kauri Timber Company. It was here that Superintendent Wilson and his fourteen men kept the flames in

check in spite of the meagre water supply. By using, the . small three-quarter-inch nozzles, a good pressure was obtained from two leads. It was found impossible to employ more than the five hydrants over the whole of the outbreak, on account of the small calibre of the mains, which in this district are only four and a-half-inch pipes. . All this time the three suburban brigades were ‘ doing cofnmendable work in holding the Are at various danger-points, and, as the flames gradually subsided, spectators were able to gain some impression of the extensive, .nature of the damage.