LICENSING OF BARRACKS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28463, 18 December 1957, Page 14

LICENSING OF BARRACKS

Council’s Move Criticised

Apparently the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.) and some members of the City Council deluded themselves into thinking that they had acquired specialised knowledge greater than that which came- through experience to experts, said Mr W. R. Campbell, chairman of the Christchurch Fire Board, yesterday. He was commenting on the report of the council’s discussion of the licensing of King Edward Barracks for audiences considerably in excess of the recommendation of the Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond). Mr Campbell said the discussion made “poor reading.” “The Egress Code was evolved, after much study and advice, for the safety of our citizens,” Mr Campbell said. “When it does not suit their purpose, city councillors show a very bad example in scoffing at these protective measures. More surprising is the extreme bad taste of the Mayor in referring to the Chief Fire Officer’s recommendations as nonsensical and absolute balderdash. “Those who are concerned with public safety are aware that in large gatherings panic is often started by other causes than fire. Although such tragedies are not infrequent overseas, it seems that some City Fathers prefer to avoid their responsibilities and bury their heads, saying: ‘lt can’t happen here.’” Asked about emergencies other than fire, Mr Campbell said there were cases of big ‘buildings with unprotected steel girders collapsing after the girders had expanded through heat, and not a major fire was needed to cause that expansion.

The responsibilities of the City Council as the licensing authority for buildings used for public gatherings are listed in the Municipal Corporations Act, 1954.

A schedule to the a n t states that a building shall be inspected by the engineer or by the inspector of buildings or some other persons appointed by the council, and by the Chief Fire Officer in the case of any part of a district included in the district of an urban fire authority, and the council may issue a licence if satisfied upon their reports that there are sufficient means of ingress and egress, that the means of escape in case of fire are as required by the bylaws, that there are measures for evacuation, panic and fire prevention, and on several other qualifications. There is provision iri the act for any applicant refused a licence or dissatisfed with any condition to a licence to appeal to the Magistrate’s Court for redress, and the Court is empowered to make such order as it thinks fit

The peak of the Christmas mail at the Auckland Chief Post Office was achieved at midnight on Monday, when 548,300 letters had passed through the stamp-cancel-ling machines fbr the day. This was the greatest tally any one pdst office had ever handled in New Zealand, said the manager of the postal branch (Mr A. E. Macintosh) yesterday.—(P.A.), •