THE Thames Advertiser. FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1808, 8 May 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1874.

We observe that in the Provincial Council las 6 evening, Mr. Swan : gave notice of a motion' to ask when the foreshore would be landed over to the Municipality of Thames. We presume that this is part of concerted action by the Thames members, but probably it .will result,in the' Provincial Government stating that they have not got the foreshore themselves yet. There is very little doubt, however, that, the General Government are ready to hand over the right to their surface, so that any use can be made of .the ground.lt is important, however, to ascertain the intention of the Provincial Government —whether they propose to keep the purchase in their own hands, and commence certain works, or to hand it over to the Corporation. We think that any works Bhould be undertaken by the Municipality, and the Borough Council will be supported in endeavouring to obtain the foreshore by the whole of the residents if their proposals are fair to that part of the goldfield without the boundary of- the;, Borough. We understand that a committee of the Borough Council are about ,to proceed to Auckland on the subject of the endowments, when no doubt full explanations will be elicited. : We have had so many opportunities of late, chiefly derived from instances at Auckland, of moralising upon fires, and upon what should, be done to extinguish them, that we can almost let the occurrence of the other morning, tell its own lesson without seeking—to use'a pulpit phrase—to; improve the occa-' ■ sioD. We think, however,, that the Municipal Council, ought to • take the matter in hand, and endeavour to make our brigade as efficient as possible, and to furnish them with every appliance which would assist them. At present the Grahamstown Brigade is supported by voluntary' contributions, and by a rate levied under the Grahamstown Fire Hate Act. Last year, the amount of rate was fixed so low that only about' £120 was realised, and that was required to clear' pff liabilities formerly ■ incurred for material, (t Under , the Municipal Act ' the' Council 1 has' large powers in reference to the means for the extinguishing of firespand 'they may make any contract with, and give any support to, a body of men associated as a fire brigade. It would be well, we think, to maintain the Shortland and Grahamstown brigades, to see that they were well supplied with material, and perhaps to pay a man at each end: of . the Borough to see that the materials were kept in order and always ready. The insurance-'cdmpanies ought to contribute largely, and also the banks and large business > -premises,,'besides, the general rate. Ab to water, the present ; .supply, when properly-used and readily available, is' sufficient to cope with, . ordinary fires j but if it were thought necessary to increase the supply, that ' could easily be done by forming reservoirs near the front of the steep range that overlooks the. most thickly-built part of the towuship. Pipes coming down from; th'e&e, would, r give'a foroe; of water that, properly directed, would, extinguish almost any fire, and render. the township safe from any great calamity in that way. / 1