The alarm was received at half-past one, and the three engines were despatched without delay to the scene of the outbreak. The building, a three-storeyed one built of brick, was almost unapproachable, and the heavy northerly wind which was blowing at the time did not make conditions any easier for the firemen. There was also the additional danger of sparks and blazing cinders being carried over to the neighbouring buildings, which were mostly of wood and very old, and had a fire gained a hold in that quarter of the town no human effort would have availed in quelling it. Five leads of water were directed on to the flames, but the pressure was poor, and it was all the brigade could do to keep the blaze confined to the one building. In spite of their efforts, however, an adjoining building sustained slight damage.
At 5 o’clock the flames were well under control, and the first machine was able to return to the station. By this time only the four walls of the building were left standing, and it was found necessary to pull down a portion of the front wall facing the street, as there was a likelihood of its collapsing.
The factory and its contents were totally destroyed, and the interior now is nothing but a mass of charred bricks and broken machinery.
The damage is estimated at between £6000 and £7000.
Fruit export record pipped
The total quantity of fruit exported during the 1922 export season was 112,343 cases of apples and 8148 cases of pears. Of these, 107,330 cases of apples and 8133 cases of pears were shipped to England, 3515 cases of apples and 15 cases of pears to Honolulu, and 1500 cases of apples to South America. This constitutes a season’s record in the quantity of fruit exported from the dominion since exporting commenced.
Moving to bigger schools
Interviewed yesterday the Minister of Education imparted some interesting details of the Government’s new education policy — that of consolidated schools.
The Hon C.J. Parr indicated that Canterbury and Waikato districts would be taken as the prospective basis of establishing the new experiment.
Mr Parr expressed the opinion he has formed regarding the weakness of the multiplicity of small ineffective one-teacher schools that were scattered all over New Zealand.
“It is impossible to give children in these small isolated schools efficient, education. The remedy is in the gradual disestablishment of small schools and the creation of a central consolidated school with good buildings, an efficient staff, and modern equipment.
"All over America children are being conveyed by modern motor transport to a central school which embraces every phase from primary to the end of the junior high school period.
"Standing against this reform in education is the somewhat averse attitude of the settlers and dwellers in the backblock districts, who see in its establishment the loss of their little school.
"It will need, therefore, a campaign of propaganda. We propose to make a vigorous effort to establish two of these consolidated schools — one in the North Island and one in the South Island."
— ODT, 15.8.1923 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)
