The Daily News. TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1916. YESTERDAY'S FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 August 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1916. YESTERDAY'S FIRE.

The burning of two large buildings used for public purposes—the Theatre Royal and the Higli School—within a week or two may well cause concern, for it looks very much like as if an incendiarist is abroad in the community. From what is known, it is hard to believe the Theatre block accidentally caught fire, The condit'ons obtaining at the time were particularly favorable foi the firing of the place. The wind was blowing in the right direction—it only blows that way three or four times during the year —it was a strong wind, the hour was early and few were about, and the fire had a strong hold before it was discovered. Precisely the same conditions prevailed in connection with yesterday's fire. The wind, unusually heavy, was in the right direction to carry the tire through the whole of the school buildings, the time was early morn, and the fire had a considerable hold when discovered. Added to these circumstances, is the fact that an attempt to burn doivn the scnool was made during the previous week. It was a clear case of attempted incendiarism. Yesterday's fire, of course, may have, been due to an accident, and the fact of two fires in public buildings willu in a short space of time may be only a coincidence, but in view of the abortive attempt to destroy the school last week, there is, we should say, substantial ground for the belief that both fires were feloniously caused. The circumstances should be carefully investigated by a court of enquiry, and in this connection we hope that no time will be lost in opening it and no effort spared to make the enquiry as exhaustive as possible. The inadequacy of the theatre fire enquiry was little more than a public scandal, for important evidence .bearing on the origin of the fire was not even called. Meantime the police have a plain duty to perform. The loss of the school buildings is a distinct loss to the community. The school has made wonderful headway in recent years under the guidance of ;he Headmaster, and the difficulty has been to provide accommodation for the grow-

ing requirements. A new boarding-house is almost completed, and this would have eased things considerably, but now tha whole of the plans will have to bp reconsidered and arrangements made for carrying cm the \\;ork (if the school until such time as a new school can he built. The (ioverument has to be looked to l'ov the necessary money, and we hope it will not treat the Board in the niggardly way it has treated it in the past. The school is deserving of the best building in the province, and the handsomest treatment, and the Government has the opportunity now of doing its duty by the institution.