To the Editor of the "Nonrn-Cuixa Danny News"
Smj—In the Report issued by officials of the SMC. on the fire that took place at the ta Chung Kuo. Celluloid Factory on June 28, which resulted in the deaths of over 20 people, it is noted that the fire broke out in'an unauthorized building that stored over four times the amount. of celluloid scrap permissible by any Authority.
The Report goes on to state that the general question of improvement of storage facilities had also Leen actively pursued, and plans to provide adequate storage accommodation had been approved by the P.W.D., on May 28, 1935" or almost a month before the fire occurred, If the officials of the Council had previous knowledge of this unauthorized building storing huge quantities of inflammable material, as. presumably they had, a very great responsbility was thrown on. the shoulders of the Fire Brigade Chief.
It is difficult {o understand the reason for no action being taken to close the factory, especially as the building is within the limits of the International Settlement, and endangered life in surrounding houses.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.