SHOWGROUNDS FIRE
ARMY'S LOSS £225,700
EVIDENCE AT P.N. INQUIRY P.A. PALMERSTON N., this day. At the coroners' inquiry into the fire at the Manawatu A. and P. Association's showgrounds on December 31 last, the officer commanding the ordnance depot, Capt. W. S. Keegan, giving evidence as to the damage, set the loss to the Army Department at £225,700. The total value of all stock at the depot at the end of December, 1944, was £1,100,000. Captain Keegan said that thefts up to the time of the fire were very small from the ordnance depot, and the greater part of the overall deficiencies were the result of miscounting. In two years nine months the losses from all sources amounted to £627. For the same period there were brought on charge surpluses to the value of £1600. Thus the surpluses outweighed the shortages by about £1000. Witness detailed the accounting system of charging for goods. From his knowledge of the store, there could be definitely no suggestion that the fire was started to conceal shortages.
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Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1945, Page 7
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173SHOWGROUNDS FIRE Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1945, Page 7
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