The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1882. CURRENT NOTES. THE FIRES.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 646, 22 September 1882, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1882. CURRENT NOTES. THE FIRES.

The enqu'ry is over, and Akaroa has once move resumed its habitual peace fulness, lor the scare bin passed, and trembling husbands have no longer to perambulate verandahs in bootless feet, two or three trues a night, to s tisfy their better halve.- Hi at there are no incendiaries at work.

There will, however, always be, to a certain extent, an uneasy f cling, till the perpetrator or perpetrators arc discovered, for there seems to be no trace of its being a stranger's work, and the conclusion is forced upon us that the crime was committed by one of ourselves, a resident, we Avill not say of Akar. a, but-of the Peninsula. That Aye should be at the mercy of such a w.'elch, who, for mad spite, or its congo.ler, idiotic fanaticism, h capable of c idangering the lives of his fellowsettlers, is very unpleasant to think of, and for that reason we. entirely agree with tho very sensible ri ler added to the verdict of the jury that sit at the inquest on l'ayley's Hotel, that no pains should be spared " to discover the perpetrators of these diabolical crimes "

The Canterbury Eire Insurance Association have not been remiss. Feeling, ai we do, the; urgent necessity of the cine, they have offered the handsome reward of £5).) i i till, or £100 for each hotel, for the detection of the; offender or offenders. That this reward may be claimel is out- earnest wish, nnd we should urge n >on all residents tlie necessity, if they know of a lything at all in any way likely to throw light on the matter, to communicate with the police.

We have b fore remarked on th ' want of sympathy, an 1 apathy, di-. pi aye I by the Borough Council, but Aye niut say that when they did mike an effort it met with but litsle r spons \ They wrote to th * ••orerirm -nt, pointing out that perhaps if a rew ird were offered it might lead to the discovery of the offenders, an I received a reply from I he departmuii of Justice to the effect that it was not, u-ual to offer rewards for offences against the law exee t in extrar .>i"Vm,anf cases. We quite ag r ee with •!:•; Vv'.irshir. f ho Mayor, that if this is :.:•>.. :.e >..■:.- u :;<v >}\ nary case there never ■ <■:;•■. .ami. v. - blame the Government ■-~:. . !:iei': le l beh-cool indifference to

v ;.,-, ,;'e,.-.. ;.;! [ neglect of their plain d'jtV. A private association has, however, led the way.- .More shame to our h> . .d ;••!■! I'c j rotectors.

":,'<. ~;' the matter not being extraordinary, the nioie we. think of it the more incomprehensible it appears ! It has been clearly proved that every landlord in Akaroa would have lost heavily by a conflagration, an I all room to be fairly popuhu and have no great enemies. Whole is the motive ? That is i\i<ryr///.\", that is the tang]-- in the skein which balill 'S tho police, and to unravel which (.■■ ■■-, eminent should certainly, in the in:.-'/est of public safety, offer an aibiitit,n.t! wwixvil to that already promised.