H.—29

XII

Extraneous Causes. Your Commissioners have no hesitation in stating that in many cases the fires on ships carrying wool, flax, and tow have arisen from extraneous causes. Men are still allowed to go into the holds of ships with pipes and matches in their clothing. What more likely than that matches should get astray in the hold, and, after being some time in the confinement of the hold, take fire by reason of friction, and thus originate a fire in a temperature and under conditions specially ready to produce the same ? Ventilators may indirectly be an extraneous cause of fire by reason of matches being thrown down same, or by reason of sparks from the funnel or galley being blown down. Experiments. Your Commissioners have made experiments with various classes of wool under many conditions of moisture, and the results have been negative so far as spontaneous combustion is concerned. We have also experimented with flax, but with the same result. The temperature has increased, but only to a degree far below the point of ignition, and has then receded ; and in case of flax, the only difference has been the rotting of the flax. We have just to hand a cable stating that the wool sent Home by us—a portion of that which had been under experiment by us —has arrived there in normal condition. The experiments conducted here have proved nothing in respect tofthe spontaneous combustion of wool, flax, or tow. Inventions and Appliances. We have had submitted to us many inventions and appliances for detecting excessive moisture in wool, flax, and tow, and for registering temperature in holds. Most of these have distinct merit, and some of them are well worthy of earnest consideration. While recommending the subject for investigation by the Government, we do not consider it as coming within the scope of the Commission to make any recommendation thereon. Recommendations. As the result of our examination and inquiry, your Commissioners desire to confirm in every respect the conclusions arrived at and the recommendations made in our interim report, and to add the following :— 1. That it be compulsory on shippers to have the nature or class of their wool clearly marked on the outside of each bale. 2. That sheep-skins should be inspected under the same conditions as wool. 3. That tow should be inspected under the same conditions as wool. 4. That flax and tow should be covered, and if possible with a material less inflammable than hessian. 5. That wool should not be stowed with oil, fat, tallow, tow, or flax, or in contact with packages containing any of these products, or in contact with any other material more readily combustible than wool itself. 6. That in our opinion every ship carrying a cargo wholly or partly composed of wool, flax, tow, or other combustible material should be fitted with an adequate chemical fire-extinguishing system. We have the honour to forward herewith the printed copy of the evidence adduced before us, as taken down and transcribed by the official stenographers. We have the honour to be Your Excellency's obedient servants, A. W. McArthur, Chairman. W. G. Foster, Commissioner. Wellington, 15th April, 1907. H. S. Blackburne, Commissioner. I have signed the attached report, but dissent from the statement under the subheading " Flax and Tow " : "On the contrary, the weight of evidence has been to prove that spontaneous combustion has not occurred in flax or tow " ; and the subsequent statement under the same heading that " the probability of flax or tow having, through spontaneous combustion, been the cause of any of the fires which have occurred upon vessels leaving New Zealand with such cargo on board is negatived." Harold Sewallis Blackburne, Commissionei.