THE FIRE-BUG’S TOLL

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1059, 25 August 1930, Page 13

THE FIRE-BUG’S TOLL

PUBLIC OPINION BLAMED

One reason for the Dominion’s abnormal annual fire losses was given by Mr. W Skegg, chairman of the Auckland Underwriters’ Association, at the reunion of the Onehunga Fire Brigade on Saturday evening. “Public opinion,’’ he declared, “is not hard enough on the man who deliberately sets fire to his house.” The ratio of losses, he said, was heavier in New Zealand than in any other civilised country in the world, in spite of the vast sums spent on the upkeep of fire brigades and the scrutiny exercised by fire insurance companies. Any man found guilty of setting fire to property should be regarded as an enemy to the community and punished accordingly. Instead of this, he contimied, the public was far too complacent with such offenders, and the law was too lenient with them. “Too many fires, surrounded by suspicious circumstances,” continued Mr. Skegg, “are allowed to pass unnoticed, whereas it should be the duty of all interested in the economic welfare of the country to see that coronial inquiries are held into the origin of all doubtful fires and the incendiary brought to book. Unless, however, public opinion were stirred up against the fire-bug, there was little hope of reducing the heavy loss of upward of £1,000,000 a year partly incurred by his activities.”