INQUIRY INTO FIRE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 288, 2 November 1934, Page 14

INQUIRY INTO FIRE

STOREMAN’S EVIDENCE. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH. Nov. 1. The inquiry into the origin of a. fire in the premises occupied by Davidson and Co., Ltd., 168 Lichfield Street, on June 8, was continued to-day. Leslie Harold Fee, accountant, continued his evidence, discussing stock sheets and books of the firm. Some of the goods wore listed at inflated prices, he said, and he repeated the evidence to show that the books were in certain respects not correct. Allen McNeal Wilson, storeman employed by Davidson and Co., said that lie valued the goods in the store before the fire at between £4OO and £SOO. He considered this a liberal estimate. The last time he posted up the stock book was three Saturdays before the fire. After that Davidson posted up the stock book. Witness, remarked at the time that this was unusual. On June 2, six days before the fire, witness secured the stock book and commenced to take stock in the usual way, when Davidson took the hook from him, remarking that stocktaking was unnecessary, as he (Davidson) already noted what was wanted. This was most unusual. Certain books now missing witness had seen in the store, and later in the office before the fire. There they could not have been destroyed hv fire, as the fire did not touch the office. A few days before the fire witness noticed that certain stock had been moved, and he had also noticed five .or six bottles spread about in a fixture. After the fire the line of the stock could bo traced by the remains, and there was sufficient evidence to indicate the quantity. The quantities shown in the stoclc sheets were certainly not in the store when stock was taken; the amount was loss than a third of that shown. In detailed evidence witness pointed to items exaggerated on the stock sheets. Mr Niblock (in the absence of Mr Sim), appearing for W. Davidson, said that consequent upon comment on the ■non-production of books, he and Mr Evans (an accountant) had visited the

warehouse, and they now produced additional hooks of entry, ledgers and also some correspondence. The Coroner (Mr ID. 1). Mosley, S.M.): There are still three important books missing, a credit book, a storo re-entry book, and a price book dealing with transactions with pennies, Ltd., an Auckland firm. “There is no sign of those,” said Air Niblock. The hearing was adjourned.