19 FEBRUARY 1960, Page 15

SIR,—In your issue of January 29, Leslie Adrian gives some

figures of fires caused by paraffin stoves : 'in 1947 it worked out at 2.2 fires to 1,000 gallons of paraffin burned, and in 1956 to 4.1.' Paraffin stoves may be dangerous, but they are not that dangerous. The figures are per thousand tons of paraffin, not per thousand gallons.—Yours faithfully, FRANK BLACKABY The National Institute of Economic and Social Research

2 Dean Trench Street, Smith Square, Westminster, SW 1