MALICIOUS FIRE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 148, 25 June 1931, Page 5

MALICIOUS FIRE

DOLE RECORDS DESTROYED. SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. The destruction of New South Wales dole records at Parramatta, Sydney, at an early hour on a recent morning is believed by the Department of Labour and Industry to have ben wilfully caused. The manager of the State Labour Ex changes said that kerosene had been poured over the dole tickets and set alight. The department, he said, had decided to call up all dole cards for the purpose of detecting whether any person was drawing rations on more than one card. The lire, it. is thought, was ar. attempt to obstruct the department in this investigation. The incendiaries, however, did not achieve their purpose. Although a cabinet which contain’d 2873 records was badly burned, duplicates are kept at the head office, and officials will be able to use these for their proposed check. The police say they have no doubt that the fire was deliberately caused. They found in the rear wall of the shop in which the bureau is conducted a hole large enough for a man to crawl through. There was evidence also that the record cupboard hhd been smashed open before the kerosene was poured on its contents, while the remainder of tho office had ben left untouched. Tho department had received several warnings that an attempt would be made to destroy th erecords.