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Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1925, Page 2

Tin; enquiry held on Monday into n lire which o. curred. destroying an unoccupied building in a suburban lucidity. was a very proper step to take in all the eircumstauees. Of late there have been far too many tires, the origin (if which are enshrouded in mystery. It is well therefore, to ventilate all the ejreiimstam es surrounding fires as publicly ns possible. In the ease under notice an unoccupied dwelling was destroyed at an early hour in the morning, and no iiiuse can lie assigned directly. The building had not been visited by the owner for upwards of throe weeks, and neighbours had not seen any persons about, on the day preceding the fire. When discovered, the lire had a firm hold. It i.s notable that the seat of the fire was at the rear of the premises. Entry was mil barred in that part of the house, but at the same time if the place were set on fire, there was a contrary wind to delay the spread of tho conflagration. There is the possible snggotison that children playing about might have been the not intentional cause of the fire. At all events the building was destroyed totally. The building was not insured beyond its value according to the general trend of the evidence, so that all grounds for personal .suspicion disappear. It is well to have these occurrences traced to some finality, even if the result be negative. When a mysterious lire occurs there are often rumours abroad, and much wild talk. Clues are supposed to lie secured, and suspicion is abroad. But nothing conies of it. and the mystery dies down to remain a mystery. A public investigation of such cases as those referred to is ot value as reducing garbled statements to a definite point, and the full circumstances are revealed. As a means to check the run of fire-raising which lias alarmed the town now tor some time, the public enquiry is (ortairilv of some value, a- a means to bring out all the facts, and to make plain the full circumstances of the case. Tile police certainly took the right course to clear up the matter as affecting the late fire under review this week.