The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14,1889. Fire!

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 94, 14 February 1889, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1889. Fire!

It has been our duty-— unfortunately ■ — too often to comment on the destruction of valuable property by fire in this town and neighborhood, and another case has occurred within a few •days which we think deserves special -notice. We refer to the burning of Mr Holland's house in King street, oa last Sunday morning. In our opinion this is a case of peculiar hardship. On Saturday Mr Holland visited the premises and found them as -far as an outside examination went, to all appearance in their normal condition. They had been unoccupied for some time and nothing had been left in any of the rooms which, in the ordinary course of events, would be likely to generate heat and thus causa spontaneous combustion. Doors, windows, and other ways of entrance were all carefully closed and locked when the proprietor made bis last visit, but, of course, entrance may easily be effected into a wooden house, and any evil disposed person would experience but little difficulty in forcing a way in if so disposed. We are informed by an expert that the building was worth far more than the amount -of the insurance upon it, and the proprietor is therefore a direct loser of a considerable sum of money. Fortunately for him bis circumstances in life are such that he will hardly feel the -loss, but that is no reason why he should be deprived of his property, or why an insurance company should he robbed. We confess we have no grounds on which to base an opinion that the fire was the work of an incendiary, and if we had we would be careful at this stage not to make them public, but we do think the circumstances of the case are such that a strict investigation should be made, if only to satisfy public opinion. We sympathise with Mr Holland in his misfortune, because what was his fate on Sunday may be ours, or that of any other householder in the place, tomorrow. It is high time something was done to make the possibility of these accidents or crimes, less frequent. What that "something" should be we are not prepared to determine, as in our opinion that lies in the hands of the Government.