ACCIDENT NOT ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL ATTRIBUTED THERETO.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1196, 17 November 1882, Page 2

ACCIDENT NOT ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALL ATTRIBUTED THERETO.

j — + [To THE EDITOR InANQAHXTA TIMES.] Si .'. — The tedn, accident, a 9 invariably applied relative \n cause and effect is, with few exceptions, utterly irreconcilable with reason or facts.; If we did but 3tudy Fatures's laws, |and be guided by reason and experience ire would plainly see that the one millionth part of what is attributed to accident is really a misnomer and misconception of the true cauae. Numerous disasters occur distructive to life and property and accounted for as accidents, which are directly opposed to facts, and plainly traceable to ignorance and negligence, oft combined with unprincipled and corrupt practices, but ascribed to accident to shield the guilty from the deserved punishment, and everlasting stigma their evil deeds has made them legally and morally liable to. For example, we need not travel outside of Reefton. We all know the disastrous firea that have occured here during the past nine years, destructive to life and property, all of which were attributed to accidents, yet I am not aware of a single instance whn-e a fire occurred in Reefton that I would consider purely accidental. On the contrary, I consider tbey were solely attributable to ignorance, negligence, and I doubt not in some instances, intent. If a man throws down a lighted match amongst any dry or combustible material whioh ignites and causes the destruction of life or property could such be consideredan accident, or, if a man places a lighted candle, lamp, or even cigar, ao as to come in contact with any inflammable material, and sat 3 a building on tire, can such an act be construed into an accident? or, if a man haa an unsafe chimney from any known defects whatever, and neglects to remedy the same and that being the cause of property being destroyed by fire, such could surely not be attributed to accident ? or, if a fire is left burning in an open fireplace the same not being protected, the natural conse-

quence would be that the fire, or rather the fuel constituting the fire, would fall to the ground, and be the cause of setting fire to the house. If such carelessness and want of thought can be ascribed to accident I must admit I do not compre- j hend the meaning of the term. But I j connot consider my circumstance an accident while the power rests entirely with ourselves to prevent such. Moreover, I am of opinion if there was less insurance there would be more precaution, there would be less fires, if any. There are chimneys here at present standing in dangerous proximity to valuable properties said chimneys being built entirely of wood, with sacking tacked over the chinks between the slabs to stop the smoke from getting through, and existing in that condition for years, as well seasoned faggots, ready to cause a conflagration at any moment, and the ruination of many, who, by dint of toil and industry, have provided homes for themselves and families. Now, if the authors of such fire creating structures as above described are so callous and glaringly exhibit such an amount of criminal indifference as to permit such sources of imminent danger to exist, then surely the authorities who are appointed to administer law and justice are in duty bound to take the matter in hand and protect life and property by at least deminishing the chances of a conflagration to a minimum, by causing all such palpable sources of danger to be at once removed. Should we at any time experience the dread consequences of such criminal negligence, whence our redress ? the culprits who were the direct cause of our ruin would probably be solaced by the popular verdict "Accidentally destroyed by fire," or "burnt to death," a3 the case might be. Whereas, the truthful verdict would be to put it in the mildest form " Indirect Arson " I consider the man who create the cause of danger, and wittingly permits the same to exist is certainly morally, if not legally, as culpable as the man who would directly light the torch, lam etc., Observer.