PROCEDURE EXPLAINED

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 124, 22 November 1932, Page 7

PROCEDURE EXPLAINED

In connection with the Coroner's in-, quiry into the Marton fire, an authoritative statement has been issued that it is not and never has been customary in New Zealand to report all fires to coroners. The practice which experience has shown to be the best is.for the police first to make thorough and complete inquiries into all fires. The police brief is then submitted by the Ideal police to headquarters for directions. Owing to the large number offires' in the Dominion, resulting in serious economic loss to the community, about a year ago a decision was arrived at by the Government that.the results of fire inquiries were to be carefully considered in Wellington by a board consisting of the Commissioner of Police, the Chief Inspector of Five Brigades, and the General Manager of the State Fire Office. It would seem possible, fudging from his comments, that the Coroner at JMarton was unaware of the arrangement referred to. As the value of the corouial inquiry depends on the value and completeness of the evidence obtained by the police before the inquiry is opened, the period which elapsed between the date of the fire in question and the holding of the inquiry seems by no means unreasonable. The interests of parties to a iire should be subordinate to the interests of justice. Because parties to a fire are inconvenienced seems to be no reason, for hurrying on a coronial ' inquiry before the "police investigations had been completed.