“FIRE WILFULLY CAUSED”

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1932, Page 9

“FIRE WILFULLY CAUSED”

MARTON CORONER’S FINDING INSURANCE FIRMS CRITICISED. ATTACK ON POLICE METHODS. ALLEGED UNWARRANTED DELAY. ' : ■: * . -- 5 “ By Teiegraph.—Press Association. •' Marton, Nov. 22. A verdict that the outbreak was designedly and wilfully caused by ■ the owner and occupier, Mrs. Myers Beatrice Avery, was returned by the coroner at an inquest’into the cause of . a fire in Follett Street on September 30. In the course of a lengthy statement the coroner attacked what he termed the practice of insurance companies in accepting whatever value was named in a proposal, together with the premium, and then rejecting such value because of some condition not disclosed, till some time afterwards. That was a close cousin to obtaining money under false pretences. The coroner criticised the delay caused by the Police Commissioner in giving instructions that his officers report the matter to him to see whether an inquest was necessary. The decision was beyond the commissioner’s authority, ft was not until the coroner issued a summons against the commissioner for ttie production of papers that the matter was brought to a head. Two hours after the issue of the summons he had been asked to withdraw, and, had done so, provided the case proceeded without delay. The coroner concluded: “If the Commissioner of Police had not taken himself the duties of coroner and Jie matter had been left in the hands of the local police the inquest would have been held five or six weeks ago. One .or the privileges of the police is to assist the people whenever they can. In the present instance, owing to want of knowledge or blundering ,on the part of the commissioner,‘the department has been a hindrance and an annoyance. EXPLANATION OF PROCEDURE. PRACTICES OF DEPARTMENT.' Wellington, Nov. 22. , In connection wtih the coroner s inquiry into the Marton fire, it is authoritatively stated that it. is not and never has been customary in New Zealand to report all fires to coroners. The practice which experience has shown to be the best is for the police first to make thorough and complete inquiries into, au fires. The police brief is then submitted by the local police to headquarters for direction. _ Because the large number of fires in the Dominion results in serious economic loss to the community, about a year ago a decision was made by the .Government that the results of. fire inquiries were to be carefully considered at Wellington by a board consisting of the Commissioner of Police, -the chief inspector of fire brigades and the general manager -of the State Fire Office, but it would seem possible, judging from the comments, that the coroner at Marton is unaware of the arrangement referred As the value of a coronial inquiry depends on the value and the complete-' ness of the evidence obtained by the police before the inquiry is opened, the period which elapsed between the date of the fire in question and the holding of the inquiry seems by no means unreasonable. The interests of parties ,to a fire should be subordinate to the interests of justice. The fact that parties to a fire are inconvenienced seems to be no reason for hurrying on the coronial inquiry before the police investigations have been completed.