The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, OCTOBER, 12, 1889. FIRE AT GERALDINE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1955, 12 October 1889, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, OCTOBER, 12, 1889. FIRE AT GERALDINE.

Sktkkal years ago we suggested to the people of Geraldiae the desirability of getting up and maintaining a fire brigade.Afc later periods we hare suggested that it was a duty the Town Board ought to undertake. Our warnings remained unheeded, and our suggestions unadopted. Recently steps hare been taken to enrol a fire brigade, but hitherto a certain amount of iukewarmness and apathy has been exhibited towards the project. No doubt tbe disastrous fire recorded in this issue will open people's eyes t© the Dacessity for it. If a tire brigade had existed a great deal of valuab'e property might have been saved, which, without appliances or organisation, the people were nnable to protect from destrnction. Supposing this' tire had broken out in the business part of] the town, and that a stxong wind, such as! we have been experiencing lately, had been blowing, what weuld hays beeu the result 1 We leaye those most interested to contemplate it. People who neglect such necessary precautions as are; generally adopted in every civilised community, get punished in the end, aod we wara the people of Geraldina now that it it not yet too late. to adopt methods which every town of its size, has long ago .adopted.! The fire on last Thursday evening! destroyed a good deal of valuable' property, but we do not sympathise with the rev. owner of it so much oh that ac,qo,unt as we do on account of the loss of his books and papers. The. Rev, Mr Barclay is a profound scholar, and he must have had in his library books which to him were almost priceless; Around them, too, must ' have hung the associations of a life-, time; to a gentleman ef his studious habits his library must doubtless havo been his greatest treasure, and it must have been very hard for him on his return home to find it inflame*. Wo sympathise with aim sincerely in hie loss; but still the; loss'.'of human life would have been greater —and how often life is lost in fires. Let. the people of ; Geraldine remember this: let them remember-uthat none of them ha* any guarantee as to when and where the next fire may occur, or what damage it may do. Under these cireumstance's we hope they wilt push, ahead the 'project now on foot, and ijet tip a fire; brigade without delay, ?