The Globe. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1874.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 130, 30 October 1874, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1874.

The question of the extension of the Fire Block in the city, which was the casus belli in the City Council on Monday last, is far too important a one to pass by unnoticed. At the outset, we may say that our sympathies go fully with those who think that the time has now arrived for its extension, and we will proceed to give our reasons for so doing. In the first place, the original block was planned so as to include what at that time was the town, being that portion of it which our civic rulers at that prehistoric period thought would, for some time to come, be the only thickly inhabited part. But since then buildings have multiplied exceedingly ; streets, which at the time this block was laid out, were covered with tussocks, are now becoming covered with buildings, and, therefore, in the natural sequence of events, it is but right that the Eire Block should be extended. But there are far stronger arguments iu favour of an alteration than even this. The great majority of our readers will, perhaps, hear for the first time that in a portion of the city, one side of the street is under the provisions of the Tire Block, while the opposite side is not. That means simply this, that the side on which the provisions do not apply may be covered with match boxes in the shape of houses, and in caseof a fire occurring amongst them—no unlikely thing by the way — the owner of property on the opposite side who has been put to great expense in the matter of party walls, &c, has the satisfaction of seeing his property destroyed, or at any rate seriously damaged, by reason of the absurdity we have called attention to. Again, the manifest unfairness of such a state of things must at once be apparent, because the owner of property situate on one side of the street has to incur heavy expenses in his building, which the owner of property on the other side has not. He has really to pay largely for precautions against fire, which are rendered nugatory by the inflammable nature of the buildings erected opposite him. The last reason is to our _ mind the strongest of all —that it is necessary for the purpose of assisting the work of the Fire Brigade in coping with fires in thickly-built blocks. It is not necessary, we think, to dilate much upon this reason. Any one who recollects the way in which the progress of the fire in Colombo street was stopped by Cookham House walls, and in other cases, will agree with ub that it is absolutely necessary to extend this block so as to give, so far as possible, a fair amount of immunity from danger of fire to the thickly-inhabited portions. For these and other reasons, we trust that the City Council will see their way clear to carry out an extension of the block. ♦ It will be recollected, that we some short time since called attention to the desirability of appointing an inspector of grain at the port of shipment, so as to affix certain marks denoting quality. We arc glad to notice that his Honor the .Superintendent (himself a practical farmer), at the Ellesmere Agricultural Association's dinner expressed himself in favor of this idea being carried out. We again hope that our Chamber of Commerce will take this matter up vigorously. There is plenty of time to take the necessary preliminary steps. Let a committc be appointed, who.se duty it shall be to collect facta, statistics, &c, and to submit th.e

same to the General Government, with a view to practical legislation in the next session of the Assembly. The farmers themselves, when they take the matter into consideration, will see at once that their interests will be secured most materially by the appointment of an officer to carry out the working of the scheme brought forward by Mr Js athan.