XN000022-1975-11-13 — Page 5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 19.5

THE CONSEQUENCES OF A FIRE IN A FACTORY WERE USUALLY SERIOUS AND MORE FAR REACHING THAN MOST OWNERS IMAGINED, MR. WATSON WENT ON. +FIRES DESTROY RAW MATERIALS AND FINISHED PRODUCTS. THEY DAMAGE MACHINERY OR AFFECT THE VERY STRUCTURE OF BUILDINGS, OFTEN MAKING THEM UNSAFE FOR FUTURE USE.

+WITH NO FACTORY OR PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY - AND POSSIBLY NO GOODS TO SELL COMPETITORS TAKE YOUR BUSINESS AND THE CHANCES OF GETTING IT BACK ARE REMOTE.

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+EMPLOYEES ARE THROWN OUT OF WORK AND THE COMMUNITY SUFFERS THROUGH LOSS OF CIRCULATION OF THEIR PAY. THERE IS ALMOST CERTAIN TO BE AN EXTRA BURDEN ON WELFARE AGENCIES BUSINESS TAXES ARE LOST. BUT POSSIBLY THE MOST DAMAGING CONSEQUENCE IS THAT A BUSINESS WHICH SUFFERS A SERIOUS FIRE MAY FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO START UP AGAIN, OR IT WILL FAIL WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD.+

MR. WATSON SAID THAT, ALTHOUGH HONG KONG LIVES BY ITS INDUSTRY AND EXPORTS, FIRES COST LOCAL INDUSTRY A HARD EARNED $30 $40 MILLION IN AN AVERAGE YEAR, +LARGELY BECAUSE OF CARELESSNESS OR NEGLECT AND LACK OF INTEREST BY MANY MANAGEMENTS IN PREVENTION AND PROTECTION FROM FIRE IN THEIR FACTORIES.+

THE EXHIBITION, WHICH IS PART OF THIS YEAR'S WINTER FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN, IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO BE HELD IN HONG KONG, ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT IN THE FUTURE. THERE ARE 16 STANDS TAKEN BY 10 LOCAL FIRMS OR AGENTS DISPLAYING A WIDE RANGE OF DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL FIRE FIGHTING AND PROTECTION EQUIPMENT. ONE STAND HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THE EXHIBITION WILL BE OPEN EACH DAY UNTIL LATE IN THE EVENING. IT CLOSES ON MONDAY.

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