THE WARRIMOO INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 709, 7 January 1910, Page 8

THE WARRIMOO INQUIRY.

01? PIKE "UNDETERMINED

,rLAS;^En?PEKS ; ;(NpT';;TO BLAME, ;■.--. (By Tcli.'sraph;—Press. : :Association.) .'' i■ '5| ;■■ ■''■„.• '-, Punstjjj' 1 ' !> January ■:: fi;.

?.; The .Court'of to in/.vestiente the /cau'se;/of;..the;'re^nt ; .firo ,911 ' this ; Goll&torVbf: •Customs' askeiJAtheXjfoiWijiff'ciiiestioiis if-' (1) i What// was} tlreVbHg'iii. *df rthe'SSre : mea'ns.;before.C''shipping.Mthe:;.'flaV to/as/it :was in such a condi-; -tionvis'/ not - to, bo .'.'liable,/to- spontaneous combustion?'; ":^"//V ; 'f .?* 'Th ;:,. V;]<h. j;..:

■:' The'/answers . or:'the'-HC6urt ; , ,: '-ai'e:r-(l) There is'- no evidence',to ehbw,what? was the,.origin'of.;the fire'/" -(2) The'/flai.a'p-; pears: .t0... have.: been'-' iij v ; ' good,, .condition when/:, shipped'.; *': : ''' , "' , ":H' , :. ;; : ; ■ '■vf'v' 1 ■.'••■'.

' -These answers, aresupplemented by. the .following 'reasons:—There : is;no ..evidence 'tOiSTiow.itliat.the'-flai.Tvas' shipped 1 otherwise'/than .-condition.';■;Onthe 'contrary.,'the '■'evidence,-; sb" far i as/it' goes, is.;that .-the;flax.■■was;.in ; ;feo'od-conditioh. ; -A-< Government V grader's-■-certificate-; was Hiyeiij-junder:,; Section .5..;. pf ;the -Produce, i Export?^Act,Vaha'';the';"evidence'''-bf''John: A.b;,; ;who was in charge• of "tTie' ; hpld, and\ that of-other witnesses is 1 , that' the; flax", appeared; tp be ;dry ;when. it was; shippedj-'and that-.it. was ; dry ; that : night.; The Court ,i.s.unable to'sayi what/was the; p'anse76^ltM'!fiY&''V-'Acopr^ing':tb j dence'every precaution,-was ! taken; against .fire .whilst- lpadingSexcept- that.the .'.'men., workingCc'argo/. took,: down; into;' the' hold, their 'which 'very probably icon-; 'tained: matches; vand.it" is .possible'..; that matches--may';;have: been ;drppped'.ih ; tho ho](l,::and,-been'a;.source of,danger. .The ■ventilators-'in".the 1 libld./are:properly pro-.; tected, Yandi: /with'"the ''above-mentioned' "exceptions/every •■ 'was,. taken ,regard-to":,,the theory/of/spontaneous com-; 'bustion;/the''evidence .is-, ratheiy.that,, the: 'bales .were: burnt.;frbm : ; ( outside;and : vnot frbra, inside,;.-. and' 'there' is '/also; evidence that the'flajc.iwas'iiiigopd'.conaitionfwh'en. .' shipped.'; Enrthe'ri :sas' is '•' stated by Pro': fessor .Park'!in':lus:evidence,; it-is doiibt"fill/whether■■ flax-'is';'; capable of-spontane-ous \.ignition, although, capable . ( of • spon.tanepus'.heating.,. } The..Court strongly: re.commends,' ias ;a' safeguard.'.'.-ngainst; fire,'- 1 that'-'stringent-■precautions '''.should'-; be adopted against'matches or other,combustibles being.', taken, into (the holds ; of 'vessels ' by .men'working 'cargo or .otherwise".