STACKS ON FIRE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18089, 16 May 1933, Page 5

STACKS ON FIRE

INCENDIARISM SUSPECTED CASES IN CANTERBURY Two attempts were made on Wednesday evening) to fire a haystack at Marshland,' increasing tile apprehension of dairy farmers in the district about the destruction of their property, states a

Christchurch correspondent. The position became so acute toward the end of last week that fanners were seriously considering providing armed guards, but a brief cessation of activities on the part of the ineeiuliarist allayed their fears. In every case the outbreaks of fire have occurred on properties of dairy farmers connected with city milk supplies. The nadst recent case was' on the

’"Mpertv of partners in a dairy farm. About 8 o’clock one of the partners, when putting out his horses, discovered that one end of a- stack had been de-

liberalely set alight. After extinguishing the. fire ho went to his partner’s house a short distance along tho road to advise him of the occurrence. Later in tho evening it was found that the other end of tho stack had been ignited, but. the fire, fortunately, was discovered before it had time to do much damage. “Wo searched all round the property

to find if there was anyone about,’’ stated one farmer, “but we were unable to locate anyone. The fires could not possibly have been due to spontaneous combustion. There have been too many similar cases round the district recently,” he added. “The suggestion of placing an armed guard over property was held over temporarily, but now it seems that it will have to be put into effect. Tho fires must have been due to incendiafists.”