Morris tribune., 1882-12-14
FIRE LIMITS.

laws of nature" has become II maxim
applicable to communities as we'll as
individuals.
When people settle in towns for the
purpose of trade or to tiud dwellings
wherein to make homes they must of
necessity surrender certain rights and
privileges which they might enjoy
We're they isolated, and not living
closely to neighbors.
Barns and outhouses cannot be
located in town at all times ut the
pleasure OF the owner, but he must
take into consideration the location of
the house of his neighbor and not
place nuisance adjoining that neigh
bor.
This view OF some of the restrictions
neccssarr To The we'll hvin" u: Gnc's
"inghh"r. i, cnncc,lcu by ,.ng usage
- r,,us,'arinv ,ir r;g.,i, n; in .ivi.lu-
ais, and l. ha, died down from time
immemorial.
We have inuclf Co say about liberty,
and sometimes soar away upon theory
and forget, perhaps, Ia make home
applications Of the term. =
If liberty of action is to bc ulrc-
strained, then why have any lawsa
Why: Because unrestrained actian
would no no liberty at all, for the
weak would become a prey to the
strong.
How, some one may ask, will you
make the application to your subject
matter; "Fire Limits"'
When one man Is located far from
his neighhor, he can control his own
premises, and is not subject to or In
ttuenrei hy tho carctessness of others
and has but little risk; but should
one, two, or ton men build adjacent to
and along side Of the first owner, the
risk would be proportionately,'grat,
and of course more danger from fire.
If these men We're all in-business,
such as we find in any town, they
would collectively have n right to pre-
scribe some rules for theiE protection.
No one will dispute but what they
would have the right to forbid, ina
proper manner, the operating of u
gunpowder mill in their midst. If
they have that right have they not al
so the right to restrict In other ways?
If those business men and Others have
formed an organization under what is
called charter, which gives them as
such organization the right to enact
certain rules for the benefit of the
whole community, do not individuals
who locate with them surrender GER
tain rights, they would otherwise re-
tain were they isolated:
Now how far can those rights be
restrained?
There is limit, of course; but
whatever reasonable regulations are
necessary for the benefit of the whole,
either as a sanitary measure or for
the projection qf fhusiness, would seem
right:
Experience Is q good teacher, and
the authorities Of cities have, within
certain limits, prescribed what mate
rial shall or shall not be used in the
erection of buildings, and if expert
ence has taught that elsewhere, why
not here?
In block two there were twelve Cor
equal to) buildings in a space of 300
feet.
All composed of combustible mate
rial, and having perhaps fifty places
in which there was fire. Not very
cheering for insurance companies.
How much better for all if brick or
some other incombustible material
was used.
Some may say: 1--WE cannot afford
to build with brick" Perhaps not;
but that class surely cannot afford to
build with wood, for brick is economy
and wood, in time, extravaganza.
Then again, if ona nan cannot af-
ford to build brick, he has no right to
insist OH building a wooden building
and thus endanger the property of his
several neighbors. People have the
right to prescribe rules for the safety
of their property. 1t is law as i'm
mutable as the laws of the Medes and
/ Persians.
BY all means have the council move
/ in this matter at once, and the result
will be better class of buildings.