SHOW GROUNDS FIRE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25802, 24 March 1945, Page 6

SHOW GROUNDS FIRE

LOSS OF ARMY STORES CONCLUSION OF EVIDENCE (P.A.) PALMERSTON N., Mar. 23. Evidence presented to the coroner's inquiry by the officer commanding the ordnance depot at the showgrounds, Captain W. S. Keegan, as to the damage ‘ caused by the fire on December 31 last, set the loss to the Army Department at £225,700. The total value of all the stock at the depot at the end of December, 1944, was £1,100,000. Captain Keegan said that the thefts from the ordnance depot up to the time of the fire were very small. The greater part of the over-all 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 £I6OO. Thus the surpluses outweighed the shortages by about £IOOO. Witness detailed the accounting system of charging for goods. From his knowledge of the store there could be definitely no suggestion J,hat the fire was started to conceal shortages. f

Corporal Gould, of the works branch of the Central Military District, described the tests made with gas-heated coppers under conditions representing those in the men’s cookhouse and the ordnance store.

Detective F. X. Quin gave evidence of inquiries into possible causes of the fire. The inquiries had been widespread and exhaustive, but produced no relevant information which haa not been placed before the court. No evidence could be found of sabotage, incendiaries, or any similar interference. No person could be found who had lit the copper found burning by Sergeant Luffman. The insurance on the buildings of the A. and P. Association as detailed by a witness were very substantially below the replacement cost of the buildings. The coroner reserved his finding, which, he said, he hoped to give next week.