FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1937, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FROM "THE

POST"

CALAMITOUS FIRE

"We regret having to chronicle that one of the most destructive conflagrations .that has ever occurred in Wellington broke out yesterday morning in'Lambton Quay and was not subdued until property, represented by buildings and merchandise, to the extent of upwards of £100,000 had been consumed, states "The Post" of this date fifty; years ago. The only. Wellington fire that challenges comparison with it was;the Opera House fire of 1879, but the property destroyed on that occasion,, valuable as it was; was not equal in.;value to that consumed yesterday. The block in which the outbreak occurred', is probably the most central business block in the city, being that having for its.northern and southern boundaries Brandon Street and Panama Street, arid for its eastern and western boundaries Featherston Street and Lambton Quay. • The Lambton Quay frontage,. until yesterday, comprised the ■ commodious four-floored auction jpiart and produce, store .belonging to Messrs. Laery and Campbell at the corner of Panama Street, Mr. Huxley's tailor shop and dwelling-house of three storeys, Messrs. Barraud and Sons' chemist's shop and premises, including a; 'perfumery bond, Messrs. Buckley, Stafford, and Barton, lawyers' offices, and Messrs. John Parker and Co. (late Messrs. Wilson and Richardson's), wellknown drapery warehouse, at the corner of the Quay and Brandon Street. At, the back of Huxley's premises, and communicating with them, stood a wooden tenement having upper and lower storeys, which was leased to Mr.-Orr, of the City JBuffet Hotel, and used by the lessee as a supplementary when the hotel was crowded, and generally as a sleeping place for several of the employees. In Panama Street, adjoining Laery and Campbell's store, stood the fine three-storeyed building occupied by T. Kennedy Macdonald and Co.-, auctioneers and estate agents, with the wine vaults of Mr. John Maginnity on the basement floor. Adjoining this and built nearly on the same place was the warehouse of Messrs. Thompson, Shannon, and Co., which only a month-ago underwent considerable internal alterations with a view to the proprietors entering into the retail trade. Next in order comes Messrs. Johnston and Co.'s larj.e and nearly new brick bonded store, standing, as a substantial barrier between Thompson and Shannon's, and the large two-storeyed wooden building occupied by Messrs. Johnston and Co. as shipping, insurance, and mercantile offices, and by the legal firm of Messrs. Bell; Gully, and Izard. In the Featherston Street frontage are the offices of the - Press 'Association and Mr. Quick, solicitor,, Mr. O'Shea's store and office, and Messrs. J. H. Bethune and Coi's auction mart. Continuing the circuit of" the block, we have in Brandon Street -the ■' printing. offices of Messrs. Edward and Green, the clothing factory and storehouse of Thompson and Shannon, and a storehouse used by R. Gardner as almost the only mercantile premises,.although Mrs. Clark's board-.ing-house, was, perhaps,-/entitle*!,to be 'included.in the same, category.'" In .this street are the back approaches to the large warehouses in Panama Street and' the buildings' are detached and scattered. When we say that'fully two- ■ thirds 'of the valuable block has been entirely destroyed, our readers can form some idea of the extent of the calamity which has occurred in our midst. The fire has made a clean sweep of the south-west rectangle, in-' eluding the shops, stores, and warehouses from Wilson and Richardson's to Johnston's bond, both these buildings with'their contents being damaged.while alt the fine,but inflammable intermediate structures, with almost the whole of their rich treasures of trade,.have been reduced to ashes. Mrs. Clark's boarding-house is also completely destroyed. . : ' . POLICE AND PRESS. An opinion; was expressed by Mr. Warden.in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, afternoon to the effect that it .was a mistake for the police to give information to the Press, and that they were far too ready to give such information. Referring to comments made upon his utterance by our morning contemporary, his Worship observed today that he had no desire to enter into a contest with the newspapers, because it would be an unequal one. If he had made any remarks which could call for.such severe comments as'had been made, it was quite unintentional. In referring to the subject of arrests he had expressed the opinion, in which he was not alone, that it was j not desirable that information as to apprehensions should be too soon made the subject of newspaper comment. ■ Nothing was- further from his thoughts than to say that the police were altogether wrong in giving information to the newspapers, for there was a great deal of information which it was most desirable that the public should be placed in possession of as soon "as possible. But it had often struck him that the mere announcement that a charge had been made, or that an individual had been arrested, with, information as to his antecedents, before: the person. accused had been brought before the Court or had an opportunity of answering the charge, was, to say the least, undesirable. Many a man's character had, to a certain extent, been blighted by the mere announcement" that a charge was made against him. He did not wish it to be understood, and he would be very sorry if the police thought that any censure upon them was intended. Inspector Browne mentioned that in the case in. point Detective Chrystall had merely called at the "Times" office and informed one of the reporters that he had arrested certain persons, thus saving him the trouble of going to the watch-house where the information could have been obtained from the records. RAILWAY SERVICE. The "New Zealand Times," prompted by the personal embodiment' of the New Zealand Railways, claims to have discovered a mare's nest in our columns. This is in reference to the "impounding" of through passengers between New Plymouth and Wellington. It triumphantly quotes the timetable to show that through passengers for the south have not to wait at Aromoho while the train goes into Wanganui and comes back. Our contemporary has been deceived. The timetable it quotes is only in force on two days of the week, when an, express runs. All through passengers do not travel by express. Sometimes the express does not wait for steamer passeng,ers. Then they have to come on by the train leaving New Plymouth at 4 p.m. They have to stay a night at Hawera and go on next morning; and when they reach Aromoho they have to get out and wait there from 10.45 a.m. to 1.35 p.m., unless they like to pay the extra fare from Aromoho into Wanganui and back. This is a ridiculous and. vexatious regulation. The through passengers should be taken on into* the town, and'be given an opportunity of dining comfortably.