CORONERS AND FIRE INQUESTS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—You may, perhaps, be able to ventilate this vital subject in your journal. The question is again being inquired into by the Royal Commission now sitting on Fire Brigades and Fire Prevention. The jury in all six fires (a report of which I enclose) brought in verdicts of arson against some person or persons unknown, and added a unanimous rider saying legis- lation was urgently needed re handling and safe storing of made-up celluloid goods, that each such article ought to be marked "dangerous," and a collection of such articles in every building for storing or sale should also be labelled "dan- gerous." In summing up, I said my work and responsibilities had been materially increased since the war owing to: (a) In- crease in number of City fires officially reported to me—e.g., 200 already for the first ten months of 1921—the average for the previous twenty years having been 152. (5) Increase of late of "doubtful " suspicious fires, and cases of arson and of fires due to neglect short of arson—recorded as. "accidental." (c) Altogether some 3,250 fires had been investigated by me during the past twenty years, of which number 110 fire inquests by juries, before me, had been held. (d) Eighteen cases of arson had been returned by as many verdicts of juries and inquisitions signed by me. From this number three men, charged by me, had been tried and convicted at the Central Criminal Court for arson—one receiving ten years' penal servitude. (e) Twenty-one fire inquests had already been held by 'juries before me for the first ten months of 1921—a record year.
Last year (1920) ten fire inquests had been held—the previous average being five per annum. In the case of the six fires at 39 Jewin Street, the means of escape, happily, were exception- ally good, owing to the Cripplegate big fire of 1897 and re- building. In thirty-six cases juries had, out of 110 fire in. quests, added unanimous riders to their verdicts that the means of escape from fire had been inadequate—the responsible building authority for London (including the City) being.the
London County Council.—I am, Sir, &c., F. J. WALDO
(City Coroner).
Oxford and Cambridge Club, Pall Mall, &TT'.1.
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